


Together or Not at All

by alecmagnuslwb



Series: Together or Not At All: Malec Power Rangers AU [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood & Simon Lewis Friendship, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Power Rangers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Magnus Bane & Isabelle Lightwood & Maia Roberts Friendship, Slow-ish burn, all other characters are pretty minor except lilith cause evil, but really just a lil' bit of angst, cause it's what we deserve, how do i tag???, i'll add tags as their needed....yeah i'll do that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-06-19 17:24:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15514800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alecmagnuslwb/pseuds/alecmagnuslwb
Summary: When Idris Grove's star quarterback Alec Lightwood fell from grace he didn't expect the consequences of that fall to lead him to his longtime crush Magnus Bane and he sure as hell didn't expect it to lead to superpowers and a looming apocalypse.AKA the Malec Power Rangers (2017) AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the first time I've ever posted anything here, here's hoping it's not terrible! Also #SaveShadowhunters

_This is a bad idea._

Alec’s been thinking this since Jace and Raj proposed the plan, that thought hasn’t stopped him from going through with it though. If they get caught he’ll be in deep shit with his parents, Jace won’t of course because they’ll find some way to blame Alec inevitably. And that right there is probably exactly why he’s doing it because how much more disappointed can his parents be in him?

“Why does our rivals mascot have to be a cow?” Raj complains as they steer the animal down the narrow hall.

“It’s a bull,” Jace adds helpfully, though the animal’s species is not what Raj is likely complaining about.

“I mean it’s kinda cute,” Alec laughs as they bust open the doors to their rivals’ locker room.

The plan was originally to steal the bull, but Alec had to point out that a bull wasn’t exactly going to fit into any of their cars. So reluctantly the plan became to just relocate the bull to wreak havoc in the locker rooms. _A plan that’s going surprisingly well_ , Alec thinks _._

And that’s when the police sirens go off and flashes of red and blue stream through the windows.

A flurry of ‘run’s’ and ‘we gotta go’s’ are yelled by the trio as they take off in three different directions. Jace and Raj are long out of sight by the time Alec catapults into his truck; he got out of the building, now he just needs to outrun the cops. Totally doable.

Alec’s truck isn’t exactly getaway car capable, but he makes the needed turns and weaves through town speeding down a nearby alleyway that will grant him his escape. A sharp left and freedom is in sight, but Alec’s elation is short lived. After a brief look back the last thing Alec see’s is the front end of his truck colliding with the back end of flashing blue and red lights.

**_3 Weeks Later_ **

“It’s like I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

It’s a sentence that Alec has heard numerous times from his mother since he came out to his family nearly a month ago. He’s heard it in much angrier tones since the ‘bull incident’ and Alec admitted he saw his football career ending injury as more of a gift than anything else.

“I’m the same person I’ve always been, it’s just now everything’s out in the open,” Alec retorts from the passenger seat.

“Oh, and everything that’s out in the open is that you’re a criminal who’s too honorable to rat on his friends huh?” Maryse responds.

“What can I say mom, what me and that cow have is special no one else deserves the credit,” Alec replies with a roll of his eyes. Izzy snorts from the backseat at that. His mother has no response other than an angry huff and a silent ride the rest of the way to Idris Grove High.

After the accident Alec had been laid up for three weeks with his leg, which he still has to wear a brace for, and he’s missed so much school he’s attending summer detention to make up for it. He is also the proud owner of a shiny new accessory on his ankle, a house arrest monitor, which ensures he’s entrapped inside his judgmental home by 6:30 every night as punishment for his breaking and entering. He’d stayed silent on the fact Jace and Raj had been with him. Raj didn’t need to get into any trouble for being dragged into a Lightwood mess. And realistically Alec knew if he’d ratted out Jace, his parents would have either never believed him or laid all the blame on Alec anyways.

Izzy is already an attendee of the breakfast club, as she lovingly calls it, because despite her genius level grades she has a tendency to act out her frustrations from home at school.

“I just don’t get it,” Maryse finally speaks as she pulls up to the school. “You were on the fast track, football scholarships, heading into your senior year and now you’re stuck here with a bunch of losers just so you can actually be a senior in the fall.”

“Yeah, well I guess you’ll never get it,” Alec says into the window as he and Izzy get out. “Or get that maybe I never wanted your football dreams for me. Plus one of the losers here happens to be my favorite Lightwood.” He throws a smile to Izzy as the two walk away without so much as a goodbye to their mother.

“You’re gonna love it here,” Izzy beams, not bothering to discuss their mother. It’s all been said before, they’re the disappointments, Jace is the golden child and if their parents don’t get a divorce pretty soon there’s a chance the Lightwood house will actually explode. All that stress, pressure and expectation are exactly why they’re both in summer detention.

“Why exactly am I going to love summer detention?” Alec inquires as they walk through the halls.

“Oh, you’ll see,” Izzy says conspiratorially as she spins around throwing Alec a wicked smile backing into the room that will be their home three days a week all summer long. Alec is on high alert now; he can never quite be sure what his loving, but nosy sister is up to.

The room is filled with some of the usual suspects, burn out’s and that one ginger kid who Alec is fairly certain hasn’t read a book without pictures in his entire life. Near the front sits a nerdy looking kid named Simon that Alec kinda knows and next to him is a girl with curly hair that Alec recognizes as the new girl who started right at the end of the school year, he thinks her name starts with an M.

However all thoughts of the other students in the room cease when his question to why he’ll love detention is answered as his gaze falls to the far table near the back. There sits Magnus Bane, in all his gorgeous, don’t mess with me glory. He looks incredible in a pair of leather boots kicked up onto the desk and skin tight black jeans, which Alec knows would look even better if Magnus were to stand. The deep red button up shirt he’s wearing is hugging to every curve in his arms, his eyeliner looks impeccable, not that Alec has seen it any other way. He even has red streaks at the front of his dark black locks, Alec could actually die.

There’s a chance that Alec is a little bit in love with Magnus and has been for a while now.

Magnus is known around school for having a bit of a hedonistic reputation, there are actually a lot of rumors about Magnus. Alec has never believed them though; there was always something about Magnus that seemed deeper in those moments when Alec would catch his eyes or just plain get caught staring. Today is one of those days it seems, Magnus looks up from his phone spotting Alec and softly smiling. He does that sometimes when he catches Alec staring; Alec assumes he’s just being nice.

His staring contest with Magnus is rudely interrupted though when the ginger bully obnoxiously knocks all of the things off of Simon’s desk. Simon just looks up wide eyed and stutters out some response Alec can’t hear. Ginger takes that as his opportunity for some name calling.

“What’re you gonna do about it Simon Says?” _Wow is this guy bad at insulting nicknames_ Alec thinks. Simon stutters out another response picking up his things as Ginger goes back in for another toss. This time however, Alec’s there to stop his hand.

“Alright, I may be new here but I’m pretty sure that’s not how you get out of detention on good behavior,” Alec says. Ginger just gapes up at Alec’s towering form; this is clearly an idiot who’s rarely challenged by anyone, just does as he pleases without anyone saying a word. “Not big on conversation? That’s good, it’d probably be terrible. So let’s keep this simple you’re gonna sit over there,” Alec gestures clear across the room to a small broken down looking desk, “And you’re gonna leave Simon here, and just for good measure everyone else on this side of the room alone. Nod if you understand.”

Ginger gulps and nods quickly retreating to the other side of the room as Alec releases the grip on his wrist. Alec looks up walking to sit next to his sister and sees Magnus watching him like he’d just done some great deed. The look sits with him the whole of detention.

By the time the first round of detention is done Alec’s pretty sure he won’t survive the summer. The teacher is dull and it’s most definitely nothing like “The Breakfast Club.” But what’s really going to kill him is the number of times he looked back only to find Magnus already looking at him, and what’s most definitely going to kill him is the wink thrown his way as Magnus gracefully exits for the day slipping past Alec on the steps outside as he waits for Izzy.

He’s so enthralled watching Magnus walk away, the pants looking just as good once he stood as Alec predicted, that he almost falls down the steps when Simon comes barreling his way.

“Thank you for that in there,” he immediately begins. “You didn’t have to I mean, you’re Alec Lightwood and I’m just little weird orphaned, math loving Simon Lewis with is guitar. Well I guess I’m not orphaned, obviously I mean I still have a mom. Anyway, thanks again and I was thinking since you seem cool and my mom’s always telling me I need friends that maybe we could hang out later, see I got this thing I need to do but I can’t drive technically an-“

“Simon!” Alec cut’s him off genuinely concerned that if Simon doesn’t take a breath pretty soon he’s gonna pass out. “Listen, I’m betting there are better friends than me you can make, plus I’ve got this,” Alec gestures to his ankle, “So there’s no real social life on my horizons.”

“Oh,” Simon says staring down at the ankle monitor. “I can fix that. I can totally fix that. And if you can help me out you can have the car for a few hours and I can absolutely fix that.”

Alec knows this kid is smart, but tricking an ankle monitor seems above his pay grade.

“I’ll think about it,” Alec says as Izzy bounds down the stairs throwing a teasing smirk towards Simon that almost knocks him out. “See you around, Simon.”

By the time the Lightwood’s are home and dinner has been served a total of six separate fights break out between their parents, Alec and Izzy. Jace went out as soon as dinner was over, no objections from their parents of course. Somewhere between all the shouting Alec had retreated to his room and not long after heard a door slam signaling Izzy’s exit. The shouting is still going strong between his parents; he’s the last man standing with their little brother Max at a friends for the night.

_Fuck it._

He’s out the window and on his bike speeding towards Simon’s house to beat the ankle monitor his healing knee throbbing as he peddles faster and faster. He really hopes this kid can actually fix this or he’s royally screwed.

The second he knocks on the door Simon starts talking, it must be his thing.

“Oh you came,” he says. “That’s awesome. I really thought you weren’t go-“

“Simon I have two minutes before this thing goes off and the cops show up,” Alec interjects.

“Right, yeah I got this,” he says as Alec enters. He rushes Alec to the basement and for the first time he’s actually quiet as he places a cage around Alec’s ankle and tinkers with the monitor. The beeper is signaling its fifteen seconds and Alec panics thinking that maybe Simon isn’t as smart as he thought. Then, like a miracle, the small blinking light goes green.

“That should last a week,” Simon says triumphantly. Alec could hug him, he doesn’t cause he’s not exactly warm and fuzzy, but he could. Instead he just places a hand on Simon’s shoulder.

“Where do you want me to take you man? I owe you. I won’t ask a damn question,” Alec says.

“The quarry,” Simon responds grabbing numerous bags off the floor. “There’s something there I gotta finish for my dad.”

Alec knows that Simon’s dad died a few years ago, sad shit travels around a high school about even the nerdiest of guys; he feels for him aside from owing him so he’s definitely not going to ask any questions. Is it technically illegal to go onto the quarry property? Yes. But Alec’s already breaking the law with his ankle monitor, what’s one more?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on tumblr: alecmagnuslwb
> 
> Stay tuned for sassy robots, Magnus POV, wide swinging deviations from the movie, a whole lot of flirting and to see how many characters I can work into this thing!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yesterday was a tough day for the famdom, so enjoy Alec being a gay disaster and more Magnus! #saveshadowhunters

Magnus isn’t surprised when Alec Lightwood turns up in summer detention. He’s heard the stories around their small town about the quarterback’s fall from grace. He can’t help but notice, mostly because he’s often found unashamedly staring at Alec that for a guy with an injured leg and recent total loss of a football future Alec somehow looks lighter, more at ease.

Magnus has noticed Alec since he and his mother moved to the small town of Idris Grove just before freshman year began. Of course everyone noticed Alec, he and his brother were known by all, but after the first time he spoke to Alec, simply an accidental run-in in the hallway on his second day at school Magnus saw something else in Alec. So Magnus started paying closer attention to the pretty face and got to spot bits of more, most notably he got to see bits of attraction thrown right back his way.

Magnus doesn’t let himself think about it too much though. Alec may stare right back, but the star quarterback and the only out bisexual, makeup wearing boy in school were never going to find their way to each other. Not in the way Magnus wouldn’t mind them to anyway.

That is until today. Because now Magnus and Alec will be sharing the same space eight hours a day, at least three days every week, now Alec isn’t the star quarterback, and now he doesn’t seem to shy away from Magnus’ blatant stares and flirting.

Alec manages to impress Magnus from the moment he walks in the door, looking unfairly attractive in a dark t-shirt that brings out his hazel eyes, jeans and those short dark boots he always seems to wear. And then he has to go and nobly stand up for the kid in the front of the room. Sheldon? Samuel? It doesn’t matter the act is wildly endearing. So Magnus unabashedly looks and doesn’t dare look away when Alec looks back the whole day.

When the bell rings Magnus passes Alec on the stairs out front boldly throwing a flirtatious wink his way. The light blush that creeps up Alec’s cheeks is too good. Magnus may not survive this summer detention.

By the evening though his focus shifts from the blush on Alec’s cheeks to looking after his mother.

“I’m not taking that one, it smells like fish,” Magnus’ mother says without hesitation when he hands over her evening medications.

“You like fish Mom,” Magnus smiles back playfully rolling his eyes.

“To eat and to keep as cute pets, not in pill form,” she says as she begrudgingly takes the pill while Magnus chuckles.

“See it’s not so bad,” he laughs as his mother sends him a sharp but teasing glare.

She simply huffs in response slowly getting up and heading back to the bedroom as Magnus moves into the kitchen to grab her a bottle of water. Ndari Bane is in Magnus’ humble opinion the greatest mom ever. But she’s also not the healthiest. The previous year brought on a breast cancer scare that was luckily caught early enough. The fight was long and hard, just the two of them facing it alone, but she’s in remission now. It’s better. She still gets tired easily, but it’s better. The thing that hasn’t gotten better is Magnus’ fear of losing her, of being alone. He knows realistically even once she’s fully operational again there’s always that chance it could come back. He could still lose her and then it’ll just be him.

“Alright, here’s your water, anything else?” Magnus asks as he enters his mother’s room.

“Just a kiss from my favorite son will do,” she smiles in response.

“I’m your only son,” he chuckles as he leans forward placing a light kiss on her forehead wishing her a goodnight.

Nights are when it gets hard. Because after she’s gone to bed early he doesn’t have her sarcastic jokes or PBS documentary’s to occupy his mind. It’s just him and those terrifying what if thoughts running wild every time he hears the slightest cough come from his mother’s room. So most night’s he goes out, usually to the lake by the quarry where it’s quiet and his mind eases a bit more than it does at home.

He goes into his bedroom once he suspects his mother has fallen asleep grabbing his backpack and slipping out the front door. Technically the quarry is off limits, but Magnus is no stranger to a little rule breaking he’s been there plenty of times it’s not like tonight’s the night he’ll get caught or anything.

When he gets there the lake is quiet as usual, that doesn’t last long though. Magnus lifts his head from where he’d been watching the lake water ripple when he hears two voices, one sounds incredibly familiar. If its workers he’ll have to run, but he doubts a worker from the quarry would sound familiar to him. When the voices stop Magnus assumes that’s it closing his eyes again as he sits on the large stone wall beside the lake. After a few minutes however he’s stirred from his comfortable reverie, suddenly feeling like he’s being watched.

And when he looks up across the lake stands none other than the object of Magnus’ flirtatious affections looking like a rebellious, definitely breaking his house arrest dream.

***

The ride up to the quarry is interesting to say the least. It’s become clear to Alec that yes, Simon’s thing is endlessly talking. In what totals about a 20 minute drive Alec learns that Simon’s father died in a car accident and that before he died they used to go searching for unique objects. That’s why he has to go to the quarry tonight. Once he’s helped Simon set up whatever it is he’s doing exactly Alec fully prepares to just take the van he has on loan for the next couple hours and drive till his head feels clear.

Those plans change as he treks back to the van and looks over the lake. Now Alec knows that house arrest has been driving him up the wall a bit, but he’s pretty sure he hasn’t gone so insane that he’s hallucinating Magnus sitting cross legged on the wall across the way.

Alec finds himself instantly walking towards the lake; he’s always felt this pull towards Magnus, even if he’s never done anything about it. But now after their shameless staring all day at detention and Alec’s whole world being wide open he lets the pull take him.

Of course following that pull is a great idea until Alec remembers he’s a gay disaster. When Magnus spots him and smiles Alec waves. He just…waves. Alec sort of wants to jump in the lake.

But Magnus just keeps smiling and waves right back before hopping down off the wall walking along the edge of the lake until he’s standing directly in front of Alec just slightly out of reach.

“Well, hello there Alexander,” Magnus drawls as he approaches him. Those rare times Alec has heard Magnus say his name it’s always been Alexander, never Alec. Usually he would hate it, but there’s something about the way it rolls off Magnus’ tongue that makes it feel right, special even.

“Hey Magnus,” Alec replies a blinding smile he's sure looks cheesy coming across his face. He doesn’t really know what else to say because it dawns on him that this is the first time he and Magnus have ever really encountered each other outside of school. Sure they’ve spotted each other around, but this is the first real encounter, a real conversation. Or it would be one if Alec could pull it together; he sort of wants to jump in the lake again. 

Luckily Magnus doesn’t seem bothered by Alec’s inability to function; he just keeps smiling that soft smile and takes the reigns on conversation.

“So first you steal a cow, then you crash a car, get kicked off the football team, land yourself in summer detention and now you’re loitering on private property while actively breaking your own house arrest,” he says with a smirk. “You’re really taking these new rebellious Alexander vibes seriously.”

Alec huffs at that, “Maybe it’s not a new rebellion; maybe I’m just finally being myself.”

That statement only seems to make Magnus smile wider.

“And for the record I didn’t steal the cow. I just moved it to a slightly different location,” he explains. “Plus it was a bull.”

“Right,” Magnus responds. “Does that mean guy who moves things to slightly different locations is the real you?”

“No,” Alec chuckles. “Just a guy who’s done doing what’s expected of him at the cost of his own happiness.”

“Well that is an admirable guy to be,” Magnus says with a raw honesty that makes it sound like more than a compliment. Alec thinks that Magnus might just be working to be that kind of guy as well. Alec realizes that neither of them has spoken for a few minutes now just staring at each other with soft understanding smiles.

“So, I’m out here just breaking laws as I do, what about you?” Alec says shifting the subject.

“Oh, you know,” Magnus starts, fiddling with his ear cuff a little nervously. “Just clearing my mind, avoiding life and all that.”

It’s vague, but it’s also clear. While they’ve never had any lengthy conversations Alec’s noticed this is how Magnus tends to respond to personal questions. Alec gets it, he’s not always the most forthcoming, but what he doesn’t get is how he can somehow tell when Magnus is being evasive while everyone else just takes it at face value.

“I get it; I guess I’m out here doing the same thing. Well kind of, technically I came out here to help Simon and then I was gonna leave but I saw you. Not like in a creepy way though,” he adds on the last part quickly, internally face-palming. Yep, he's definitely gonna go jump in the lake.

“I thought you were out here to commit crime?” Magnus simply chuckles at Alec’s rambling.

“Well yeah, I mean that was obviously the main reason,” Alec says a lot more smoothly than his previous rambling. “Gotta keep up that criminal lifestyle persona I’ve built around town.”

That makes Magnus genuinely laugh. And, god does Alec want to make him laugh like that again and again. Alec almost continues talking, almost feels bold enough to ask Magnus if he wants to sit or wants to walk around the quarry for the evening, when suddenly a large explosive noise comes from the right. With a look and not a word they both take off towards the spot where Alec left Simon.

They skid to a stop by the rubble of what once was a full rock wall that Simon is standing in front of totally unfazed by the fact he just blew something up, too busy happily jumping around exclaiming that he did it.

“You failed to mention you were gonna be blowing shit up Simon!” Alec yells.

“Oh,” Simon yelps turning around as Magnus and Alec walk towards him. “You’re still here I thought you left. I would’ve told you about this but well you’ve committed enough crime lately haven’t you?”

Magnus snorts at Alec’s left walking past him to where Simon’s explosion did the most damage.

“Wait, what’s Magnus Bane doing here?” Simon continues clearly ignoring Alec’s glare.

“Magnus Bane is here to flirt with former quarterbacks,” he says sending a sly wink in Alec’s direction effectively removing the glare from his face. “And to ask you why you blew up a wall for some glowing rocks?” he continues as he picks up a few of the rocks tossing one to Simon, which he barely catches, and another to Alec, who catches it swiftly.

“Well, I didn’t really know what was in the wall, I just knew that there’d be something cool in the wall because my dad predicted it,” Simon explained. Magnus looks up clearly about to pose another question when suddenly another pair of feet skid onto the rubble. 

“Did I just hear this guy say he blew up a wall for some glowing rocks?!” the girl from detention with the curly hair yells as she nears them, just behind her is another girl who Alec instantly recognizes.

“Iz? What the hell are you doing here?” He questions. She looks more surprised to see him than she does about the explosion.

“What are you doing here?” She responds then glances towards where the curly haired girl who she clearly was hanging out with crouches down next to Magnus picking up one of the last two glowing rocks. “Oh, date night?” Isabelle smirks.

Alec just glares as the curly haired girl gets Izzy’s attention tossing her the final glowing rock.

“Why are you throwing a rock at me, Maia?”

“This kid blew up a wall and security most definitely heard it which means we’ll have to run in a minute. Might as well get a prize out of it,” Maia shrugs.

Right on cue Alec hears what’s becoming the familiar sound of sirens approaching and yells for everyone to run. He may be breaking his curfew and tricking his ankle monitor right now, but actually getting arrested again isn’t an option.

Alec slides into the van, Simon hopping into the passenger seat beside him. His sister, Maia and Magnus taking off the other way. Alec throws the car into gear, spinning around towards where the trio ran.

“That’s not an exit!” Simon screams holding onto the dash for dear life.

“We can’t just leave them,” Alec replies deceptively calm. He’s freaking out, the last time he drove away from the law it didn’t exactly end up the best. “Do you see them?!”

“There, the girls are over there!” Simon points to the right as Alec swerves their way.

“Alright you’re taking the wheel Lewis,” Alec starts and then quickly continues as he sees Simon preparing a protest. “No arguing one of us has to drive us out of here past the train tracks and the other has to pull them in while we’re moving, which job do you want?”

Simon looks contemplative for a moment, but ultimately decides. “Fine I’ll drive,” he says clamoring into the driver’s seat as Alec falls into the back sliding open the van’s door.

Simon swerves closer to where Izzy and Maia are running close behind one another. Alec reaches a hand out to his sister first which she grabs without hesitation being quickly pulled in, when he does the same for Maia she hesitates until Izzy yells for her to grab on.

“Where’s Magnus?” he yells looking between the two girls.

“He ran up,” Maia gestures towards the rocky hillsides on the other side of the van.

Alec swiftly shuts the van door and moves to look out of the window hoping to spot Magnus.

“Alec, we’re almost at the tracks!” Simon shouts as he continues to accelerate. The sirens are getting closer, the lights too close for comfort and the sound of a far off train grabs Alec’s attention as well. But his attention is mostly focused on the hillside.

“We gotta find him before we hit the tracks, slow it down a bit,” Alec decides fully prepared to risk it if it means getting Magnus out of there. Just as Simon slows down, very shakily which makes Alec understand why he needed someone to drive him up here in the first place, Alec notices a blur on the hillside and recognizes it as Magnus. “There he is!”

Alec doesn’t really know how to get to Magnus, but Magnus seems to have other ideas when just as Alec slides open the van door ready to yell for him Magnus spots them and jumps, miraculously landing on top of the van with a thud.

“Magnus!” Alec shouts reaching out of the van and lifting up to grab onto Magnus’ hand clumsily pulling him down and into the van landing directly on top of Alec.

“Speed it up Simon!” Izzy yells slipping into the passenger seat as Maia shuts the van’s sliding door, the security and police cars getting closer.

Alec however is ignoring all of this in favor of focusing on the fact that Magnus is lying directly on top of him looking down at Alec with a teasing smile.

“Good catch QB,” Magnus says with a tilt of his head.

“Less of a catch, more of pull,” Alec replies without thought. “You’re crazy.”

“I’ve been told,” Magnus breezes back with a smile.

“Flirt later,” Maia interrupts nudging the pair with her foot leaning forward to look out the front window. Magnus throws Alec one last smile before hopping up to do the same, Alec shakes himself free of his Magnus daze and follows behind.

Alec suddenly realizes they might actually make it. That is until the whistle of the train grows far too close. Simon's headed straight for the tracks, gas pedal fully down.

“He’s not gonna make it,” Izzy laments.

“He’s gonna make it,” Alec quickly responds not really believing it himself.

“I’m totally gonna make it!” Simon joyfully yells as the front tires hit the tracks.

It turns out Izzy was right, the last thing Alec remembers is Magnus reaching for Alec’s hand, fingers brushing almost twining together and then a loud, deafening crunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Until the next time, catch me on tumblr: alecmagnuslwb


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is either a day early or almost a week late depending on your perspective in life ;)

Magnus jolts awake like he’s been hit with electricity. He scrambles from bed feeling simultaneously like he’s had the greatest sleep of his life and the worst. He grips his phone seeing it’s shockingly early for him to be up on Saturday not even quite 8 AM, but what shocks him more is the fact that his phone says it's Sunday. The last thing Magnus remembers is the quarry, which was Friday night. Panic shoots through him as he stumbles into the bathroom avoiding his mother in the living room for the time being. In the mirror Magnus looks to see any signs of injury but there’s nothing to be seen. His grip on the sink tightens in worry.

W _hat happened to Alec? The others? Did it even happen at all_ , he wonders. Then underneath his fingers he feels the sink crack.

***

“I just crushed my phone in my hand!” Izzy yells unceremoniously bursting into Alec’s bedroom slamming the door. Alec can’t piece together why that’s relevant enough to so rudely wake him, until he realizes the time and remembers where he’d last been.

“Did you hear me Alec?” Izzy prods pushing Alec up and out of bed.

“I’m not deaf so yes I did, but Iz do you remember getting home from the quarry at all? What happened to Magnus and the others?” he says as he rises walking towards his closet door pulling with a light force that somehow ends up removing the door from its hinges entirely.

Izzy’s eyes widen as she watches Alec, but she’s not looking at the closet door in his hand she’s looking at his leg.

“What?” Alec questions following her line of sight to where his leg brace is nowhere to be seen and he’s walking around like he never even injured it in the first place. 

***

Magnus is pretty sure a person can’t run as quickly as he has to get to the other side of town. He’s also pretty sure that no matter how agile he may be climbing up the side of the Lightwood home shouldn’t be this easy, he’s weirdly more worried that he’s about to attempt to crawl into the wrong Lightwood bedroom. A tap to the window however sends the curtains flying open to reveal the Lightwood he was seeking, who also happens to be shirtless. Magnus is suddenly very glad his grip on the side of the house feels so sturdy.

“You’re okay,” Alec says sounding relieved as he opens the window.

“Better than ever really,” Magnus smirks looking Alec up and down. Dire answers can wait in the name of flirting with a shirtless Alec Lightwood.

Alec looks down as if he’d forgotten he was shirtless and as if it’s not all incredibly impressive to look at, scrambling to the side to pull a t-shirt out of the closet and over his head.

“You don’t have to get dressed up for me,” Magnus smiles.

“Actually he does,” a female voice from the side startles Magnus from his ogling, he hadn’t even noticed Isabelle in the room, Alec really has an effect on him, “Usually I’d encourage he didn’t and allow this flirting to continue but I’d say we’ve got a more pressing matter at hand.”

Alec blushes but clears his throat to agree, “So did you happen to rip your closet door off its hinges or crush a phone with your bare hands this morning?”

“Cracked a sink actually,” Magnus replies. “Not to mention despite my incredible agility,” he continues tossing a well-timed wink Alec’s way, forget what Izzy says there’s absolutely still time to flirt. “Climbing up the side of your house like I’m Spiderman isn’t a thing I could do yesterday. Oh, and I woke up with this still in my pocket,” he finishes as he retrieves the glowing black rock from his pocket.

Alec and Izzy share a knowing look that Magnus can only assume means that they both have those rocks in their pockets all the same. It’s clearly connected somehow. His conclusion is proven immediately as Alec pulls the glowing red rock from his own pocket holding it out closer to Magnus’s causing both smooth circular rocks to glow impossibly brighter.

“We have to find Simon and Maia,” Izzy says a burning pink rock exactly like theirs now in one hand.

“I know where Simon lives, but you’re the connection to Maia,” Alec directs towards his sister still wondering what exactly that connection is.

“I’d text her, but ya know,” she leaves open ended holding up her shattered beyond repair phone. “Knowing her though she probably went to the scene of the crime to figure it out by herself.”

“I can get us back into the quarry unnoticed,” Magnus chimes in. “Let’s go get Simon and figure out why we all lost a day and woke up the Avengers.”

15 minutes later with a quick reasonable excuse that Magnus only hears faintly as he slips back down the side of the Lightwood house the trio are driving in the Lightwood’s mother’s car to Simon’s house with Alec behind the wheel.

“Should you be driving?” Magnus says from the passenger seat a teasing smirk on his lips. “Just knowing your recent track record maybe someone else should be behind the wheel.”

Alec rolls his eyes at that a small endearing smile at the corner of his mouth, “As long as we don’t end up being pursued by the authority’s I should be able to manage.”

Magnus is about to reply with another flirt laden retort but as soon as they pull up to Simon’s house he’s pacing in the front yard as if he’d known they were coming. _Maybe he did, maybe he woke up this morning with mind reading powers._

Simon rushes over to the car the moment it stops and hops in the back next to Izzy. Alec looks a little startled, it’s cute, so Magnus just gestures with a go on motion to him that he start driving again.

“Oh thank god you guys are here,” Simon begins. “I woke up with a glowing rock in my pocket, no memory of getting home and then when I ran outside I jumped over our neighbors’ house. Like full on jumped over it. Yesterday I couldn’t even jump over a stepping stool, but suddenly I’m Spiderman.”

“Hey,” Magnus interjects on what he assumes is one of many upcoming ramblings from Simon. “I already claimed Spiderman.”

Simon doesn’t seem to know what to say about that looking dumbstruck and a little offended that Magnus already claimed a superhero persona without consulting the group. It’s effective though because the ride lapses into silence from there, clearly they’ve all experienced similar mornings and it’s doubtful Maia hasn’t had the same.

***

In Alec’s wildest dreams he never thought this would be the scenario in which Magnus Bane climbed through his window. Not that he’s had dreams about it, or not that he’s had many dreams about it. Still, it’s not the ideal way he saw this happening. But it also just might be because if they’ve all suddenly developed superpowers from a freak accident and some magical rocks he’s gonna have a lot more reason to spend time with Magnus outside of detention.

 _That should not be your priority right now,_ Alec scolds himself for the umpteenth time since he flustered and blushed when Magnus blatantly checked out his bare torso. He can’t help it though, dire situation aside Magnus is okay and he’s right there flirting and smiling despite Alec continuing to be a bit of a disaster. None of them are dead or anything Alec’s allowed to try and flirt back with the guy he likes as they drive back to the spot where they committed numerous crimes not even two full days before.

He’s pretty sure there’s a rule about not returning to the scene of a crime, but the back entrance to the quarry is sneaky enough he’s certain they’ll be fine. The area where Simon blew up the wall is a bit of a walk away from where they have to leave the car, its time Alec was hoping would allow for him to talk to Magnus a bit more or at the least be flirted at by Magnus.

But as soon as they start the trek Izzy ducks behind a rather large bolder with Simon signaling Alec to do the same with Magnus, a fact Alec doesn’t notice to busy watching Magnus from the corner of his eye. Luckily Magnus is paying attention and gently folds his fingers around Alec’s wrist tugging him behind the same rock line.

Alec swears he’s paying attention to the scene below them that Izzy’s pointing towards, but he’s also wildly distracted by the fact that Magnus is still holding onto his wrist. The other night Magnus had been laying on top of Alec, admittedly it was an adrenaline rushed moment but, Alec had felt the points of contact all the same, this innocent touch somehow feels more intimate. His wrist practically burns with the contact in the best kind of way.

“How the hell did we survive that?” Magnus speaks lowly, pulling Alec back to reality. Down next to the tracks is what Alec assumes was once Simon’s mother’s van. Now it resembles a mangled mound of metal more than anything.

“We shouldn’t have,” Alec glumly responds. “We need to get back to that wall and figure out what the hell these rocks are.”

When they get to the wall, fully prepared to start scaling down the side Alec spots Maia below. Before he can grab her attention she looks up shouting at them, “It’s about time you showed up. I’ve been calling you all morning.” She gestures towards Izzy with a huff.

“I sort of broke my phone,” Izzy responds, _that’s an understatement_ Alec thinks.

“Stay where you are,” Maia yells back as she begins casually scaling the shattered wall. “This wall’s nothing but there’s a line of water coming through from the other side I think it might lead to more.”

Alec knows Magnus called Spiderman dibs, but as he watches Maia easily climb the wall without breaking a sweat and not even the slightest out of breath as she talks to them the whole way up he thinks they might all be Spiderman.

Maia’s not wrong on the other side of the wall there’s a small waterfall; a waterfall that seems to not really fall into the pool below but recede back up the opposing wall. Alec doesn’t know much about the science of waterfalls but he’s pretty sure that’s not how it works.

“We should go down there,” Magnus says as he steps to the edge of the wall bracing to jump.

Alec reaches out gently grasping his wrist the same way Magnus had to him minutes before, “Woah, you can’t just jump down there.”

“We have superpowers Alexander, I’m pretty sure that means I can,” Magnus smiles as he gently retracts his wrist from Alec’s hold and gracefully hops over the edge.

“Magnus!” Alec yells as he falls looking down to see Magnus hit the water. “Magnus!”

There’s no response, Alec’s barely aware of the three others anxiously peering over the side beside him, after a few moments Magnus doesn’t come up so Alec stands tall ready to make the same leap.

***

Magnus is aware that jumping probably could be a really terrible idea, but he’s also aware that in every good superhero movie the first risky jump always has cool results.

When he hits the water he fully expects to be able to just resurface and reassure a no doubt worried group up above that he didn't just plunge to his death. Instead as soon as he’s submerged he feels a vacuum pull that inexplicably takes him through the bottom of the water where more dry land exists.

Magnus doesn’t know much about the science of waterfalls but he’s fairly certain this isn’t how they work. Through sheer force Magnus swims his way from the vacuum before being pulled through entirely to dry surface, but just as he’s about reach the top another body splashes in beside him being pulled in the same way he had.

Magnus reaches out immediately grasping onto Alec’s arm to pull him up alongside him; the pair popping their heads out and gasping for air.

“You okay?” Magnus gasps.

Alec tilts his head towards him, hazel eyes burrowing into Magnus’ brown, giving Magnus the most incredulous look he’s ever seen in his entire life.

“Am I okay?!” Alec shouts. “Magnus, I thought you just leapt to your death or something!”

“Well then why’d you jump too?” Magnus shouts back, he knows it’s not entirely fair since he’s the crazy one that jumped without warning, but still.

Alec sputters in response no real words coming out, just the look on his face becoming impossibly more incredulous, “Be-because, I..I don’t know. Maybe I just didn’t want my cru- you to drown!”

Magnus is 99% sure Alec was about to refer to Magnus as his crush, he’s also 99% sure that the voices yelling from above might not appreciate it if he just started kissing Alec then and there.

“How romantic,” Magnus teases which wipes the incredulous look off Alec’s face a bit replacing it with a more charmed one instead and then he tilts his head upwards yelling to the trio above. “Jump! There’s something under the water, don’t fight the pull and just follow us!”

“Follow us? Do we even know where we’re going?” Alec questions.

“Not really,” Magnus smiles looking Alec directly in the eyes. “How about this from now until we sort this out, together or not at all?” he finishes holding out a hand to Alec. He watches Alec’s eyes flicker down for a brief second thinking Alec won’t take it, but then he feels long fingers fill in the spaces between his perfectly and is rewarded with a blinding smile.

“Okay.”

***

When Alec goes back underwater this time it’s with Magnus’ hand entwined with his. Despite knowing Magnus, he doesn’t really _know_ Magnus but inexplicably he trusts him completely. He’s not taking the time to question it, but if he drowns down here he just might in the afterlife.

Until then though he does as Magnus says allowing the pull from under the water to take hold. One second he’s fully immersed, hand in hand with Magnus and the next they’re being deposited face first on sandy ground hands no longer entwined.

Alec lifts himself up, a slight twinge of pain from the flat fall as he pulls Magnus up by his hand beside him. Around them are more of the same rock formations that can be found outside, but down here its chillier and almost glowing. It’s actually pretty beautiful, it’s pretty beautiful and Alec is still holding Magnus’ hand though it’s absolutely no longer necessary as they each look up and around surveying their surroundings.

Their eyes meet then smiles just as soft as the hold of their hands tease at their lips. Alec’s about to say something, anything when they suddenly jolt apart as Simon falls through the water coursing above them wildly ungraceful, the girls not far behind.

“I can’t believe you pushed me!” Simon exclaims still lying on his back on the ground as Alec and Magnus move to help the girls up.

“Well,” Izzy starts as she accepts Alec’s hand. “We would’ve been standing up there all day if we hadn’t.”

Alec shifts from his sisters’ side, chuckling lightly at her brash willingness to push this poor kid off of a waterfall, returning to stand opposite Magnus whose eye catches something behind Alec as he does.

“Look,” Magnus says as he tugs Alec’s sleeve signaling him to turn around. “Is that a door?”

Alec turns as he watches out of the corner of his eye as Simon finally scrambles up from the ground and runs directly up to the metal door encrusted in layers of heavy rock. To the right lies a tunnel that Alec sees a small crack of sunlight beaming through, thankful there’s an exit nearby.

“Simon don’t-” _touch it,_ Alec thinks as he watches Simon do exactly that. The second his hand touches the door a pulse of light cracks through it sending Simon flying back a foot or two a bright blue glow that Alec assumes is his rock coming from his hoodie pocket. As Maia rushes to his side, a yellow glow illuminating from her front pocket, the door slowly slides open to reveal what Alec can only describe as a spaceship.

A freakin’ spaceship.

“We probably shouldn’t go in right?” Magnus asks from Alec’s side as the trio to their left are already moving to step inside.

“Probably not,” Alec replies. “But clearly they don’t have the same qualms about it.” He steps toward the door preparing to follow his sister and the other’s but Magnus makes no move to do the same. Alec can’t help but feel a little surprised that Magnus who’d just flippantly jumped into an unknown waterfall now feels hesitant, but he doesn’t dwell on it just does what Magnus had done for him as he’d felt uncertain floating above.

He reaches his hand back tilting his head just enough to meet Magnus’ eyes, “Together or not at all?”

And with another grasp of hands Magnus chooses together just like Alec had before.

***

Walking through the doors with Alec’s hand clasped in his is makes the entire concept of walking into a spaceship calmer than it should be. Unlike the exterior of the ship encrusted in rock the interior is pristine. Smooth silver covers every surface, all rounded edges and deadly silence. The ship is seemingly empty, but Magnus can’t help but think it isn’t unless spaceships just don’t collect dust.

“It’s way too quiet in here,” Alec whispers leaning into Magnus a little more.  Magnus should probably focus on the fact they’re on the same wavelength, but he’s mostly honed in on the fact Alec’s not just holding his hand now but also leaning his body into Magnus’ heavily as they cautiously walk deeper into the ship.

Alec’s a bit cold and damp, but so is Magnus and it’s not unwelcome. It’s actually very welcome and very distracting, so distracting he almost misses the sudden scuttling noise that comes from above them. The noise is loud enough it causes Alec and Magnus to break apart from one another and Simon to drop to the floor in fear. Magnus shoot his gaze upwards as the sound gets closer and closer above their heads.

“We need to leave!” Alec yells to the group as Simon scrambles up off the floor, all rushing towards the exit. Magnus is the first to reach it, but just as he’s about to step the door slams shut, Alec gripping his arm and tugging him back to keep him from getting caught it.

“Damn it,” Magnus mutters under his breath as Izzy bangs on the door, Simon searching around to find some electrical way to open it. It’d be a solid plan if they weren’t on a time crunch and if Simon wasn’t so squirrely dropping to floor again seconds later at the sound of a voice behind them.

“Hello!” a cheery, echoing voice shouts. Magnus shares a look with Alec, a silent conversation on if they should turn around or run to the right where a long seemingly never-ending hall lies. As usual the trio with them doesn’t seem to need to have a conversation silent or otherwise already turned around with varying degrees of shock covering their faces. Magnus and Alec turn slowly together and join their friends with shocked looks.

In front of them is a small…robot; a small somehow cheery looking robot with a head that sort of looks like a Frisbee and a somehow disturbingly hourglass shaped body. The small robot doesn’t seem to care about, or notice the shock bordering on fear that covers the teens faces however as he cheerily begins talking once again.

“You’re here! You’re finally here! I’ve been waiting since Monday!” the robot talks endlessly it seems, reminding Magnus a lot of a small shiny Simon. “Well, Monday 4 billion years ago, but still since Monday! Do you have the stones? You must if you found your way here! Let me see, let me see!”

Simon ever the bundle of nerves fumbles his glowing blue stone from his pocket without hesitation. Maia and Izzy both instinctively reach out to move Simon back as the small robot scuttles towards them. Magnus automatically does the same to Alec, not that it has much effect as they’re all pressed up backs against the door that refuses to open.

“That’s good, that’s good,” the robot says reaching out to pluck the rock from Simon’s shaking hands. “And you,” they say gesturing to the other’s. “You have yours as well?" They all nod still stunned and uncertain as to what they should do. "Different colored rocks, different colored kids! It’s all so exciting!”

“Who the hell are you?” Alec asks not moving to take out his rock in any way. “Or more like what the hell are you?”

The small robot looks confused, or as confused as a robot can, “Well, obviously I’m a robot, I know the kind of strange television you humans watch I’m sure you’ve seen a robot before. As for who, well my name is Alpha-5 and I’m an assistive robot here primarily to function as your guide in the journey towards becoming the Power Rangers.” The robot, Alpha-5, says like it’s the easiest thing in the world to understand, then gestures forward handing Simon his rock, walking deeper into the ship expecting them to follow. Which Simon, Izzy and Maia, unsurprisingly don’t hesitate to do.

“A what now?” Magnus questions still standing back against the door an arm across Alec’s chest keeping him nearby.

“You know Power Rangers!” Alpha-5 states once again with no explanation.

“We really don’t,” Magnus yells still stationary next to Alec. Alpha-5 turns at that, the lights on his Frisbee head lighting up brightly in what Magnus think might represent a reassuring smile.

“Then come along with me,” he respond with a forward hand motion. Magnus still hesitates, uncertain until he feels a hand he’s becoming very familiar with slip into the one that still rests on Alec’s chest. Alec tugs on his hand urging his gaze to meet his. When their eyes meet Alec squeezes his hand once and begins walking forward Magnus in tow. 

“Stand right there in the spots that match your colors,” Alpha-5 gestures to five stands set up in a circle before them, a sixth that he steps up onto himself. The group exchanges a glance as they all move forward figuring they came here for answers and this may be the only way they get them. As soon as they each step into their spaces light begins flowing from beneath their feet and the center of the circle shimmers, a face fading in and out. The face begins speaking in a language Magnus doesn’t understand as Alpha fiddles with a panel of controls that rise up in front of him. Slowly the face forms into that of an older man and the language he speaks transforms into English.

“Alpha? Alpha?” the face booms.

“Here, Sir!” Alpha perks up as the face turns towards the small bot. “And these,” he continues gesturing to the circle. “Are the new Rangers.” The face turns around scrutinizing each teen one by one. “Rangers this is Ithuriel the last red leader.”

“Yeah, um hi, Simon Lewis, these are my friends Maia, Izzy, Magnus and Alec,” Simon interrupts gesturing to the group one by one. “So a couple questions, what’s a Power Ranger, what’s a red leader and are you kidnapping us?”

The face, Ithuriel, laughs at that shifting to look at Simon. “A ranger,” he explains, “is a unique, strong willed individual chosen by the power inside of the stones you each carry who's destiny is to fight the evils that threaten this earth, this time you’ve been called upon because Lilith has found her way back to the surface. A red leader is a team leader, I was the red leader of my team and I failed. This boy,” he says swinging to look at Alec. “Is yours. And no we are not kidnapping you, merely setting you on the path to train you to be the heroes you are meant to be.”

“That’s insane,” Maia shouts as Simon simultaneously says the exact opposite.

“That’s so cool! So we have superpowers, that makes sense. But why us?”

Magnus really thinks they should be asking more important questions, like how any of this is real, but then again accepting it at face value seems reasonable considering the past couple days they’ve all had. But one question still seems more important than Simon’s.

“Who’s Lilith?” Magnus asks.

“Lilith Lannihilation,” Ithuriel begins his booming voice taking a grave tone as he turns towards Magnus. “Was once a Ranger, one of my Rangers, until the power went to her head. She became filled with anger, jealousy; she killed our entire team in the quest to retrieve the Zeo Crystal, which holds together and protects life itself, and earn ultimate power. The crystal is buried under the earth, somewhere near here. It will take time for her to gain enough power to retrieve it.” A burst of light comes to surround Ithuriel’s face showing a crystal encased in what looks like the galaxy. It’s oddly beautiful, minus the glowing old man face in the center, Magnus thinks.

“So she’s still around then?”

“She has returned, or will soon if you’ve all been activated. When she killed us, she had gained so much power that when her body was lost to the water it survived the damage and now she’s returning, seeking the same power she sought before. You are the only ones who can stop her.”

“I’m sorry, but this is all insane. We’re a bunch of teenagers; we can’t just save the world from an evil lady with ultimate power,” Izzy interjects stepping down from her post, the light around Ithuriel’s face fading. Maia follows behind her heading for the door, this time it doesn’t stay shut, but opens wide for them as they all exit.

Magnus looks to Alec who looks torn between bolting for his sister and staying there with Magnus. Magnus makes the choice easy for him stepping down from his post, tugging Simon along as well.

“She’s got a point, we’re just kids what the hell can we do stop ultimate evil?” Magnus asks stopping next to Alec.

“You are not just kids,” Ithuriel responds. “If you were the stones would not have stayed with you.” He turns to Alec at that, “Training will begin tomorrow, with or without your entire team. You are the only ones who can help protect this world from Lilith’s wrath, she will annihilate everything in her path if she’s successful. Be the red leader.”

Alec doesn’t respond, just steps down walking out the door with Magnus to join the girls. Simon stays behind, stopping to face Ithuriel and speaks to him for a moment. Magnus can’t hear what they talk about, but hears Simon rushing to catch up with them moments later.

“I think he’s on the up and up,” Simon says as the doors close behind them all. “We all didn’t wake up with powers for no reason.”

“So we’re what? Just supposed to follow the floaty head?” Maia questions.

“Evidently, but none of this makes any sense, so maybe it makes sense,” Magnus reasons out. “He said training begins tomorrow maybe we should come back, I doubt the weird things happening to us are just going to stop if we refuse our…destiny.”

The group all stares at Magnus, he’s uncertain what response he’s about to receive from them. Then Simon begins rapidly shaking his head in agreement, Maia and Izzy nodding a little more reluctantly along with him. Leaving one member of their group out.

Magnus turns to look at Alec, who face is twisted up in uncertainty. “Alexander?”

“I’m supposed to be some sort of super team leader,” he breathes out nervously, not quite a question mark at the end of his sentence but one that Magnus senses anyways.

“You don’t have to do it alone,” Magnus replies eyes locking with Alec’s, hand reaching out to take his again. Alec hesitates for just a second, a moment of doubt clouding his eyes and then he’s reaching out to Magnus.

“Then we come back tomorrow.” Alec decides, Magnus smiles in response, so they’ll come back tomorrow.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is currently about 70% just Malec flirting, so that's something to look forward to!  
> tumblr: alecmagnuslwb


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a pain for some reason and I don't love it, but here it is out in the universe now. Also enjoy the Parks & Rec reference and the tiny, tiny New Girl reference ahead!

The contemplative drive back from the quarry takes longer than usual. It’s a quiet drive, an uneasy drive in some ways, Alec’s mind racing with the reality that in the past 48 hours he’s developed superpowers, been told the apocalypse is coming and through it all been completely calmed by Magnus’ presence.

By the time Alec and Izzy are slipping into the driveway quietly it’s dark outside, but more notably there’s a sheriff’s car sitting out front. Izzy and Alec share a glance as the radio talks about a deputy being found dead on a fishing boat, the sheriff car doesn’t seem like much of a coincidence now. They slip through the front door quietly stopping in the hall near the stairs to listen to conversation taking place in the living room.

“It seems the body your boys drug up from the water has disappeared, there’s no way she was alive, but I’ve got a dead deputy and it’s seemingly like your zombie girl did it,” Sheriff Luke Garroway says. Alec’s father huffs in response, this conversation clearly has been going on for a while now. Maryse looks more concerned, more willing to listen than she usually does.

“I’m not saying you or your fishing company is responsible,” Garroway continues kindly though their father doesn’t likely deserve it. Alec doesn’t really know the Sheriff, but he does know his daughter Clary a bit from school, he also knows that he’s the one that took in Maia when she moved to town. Having a daughter with the bluntness of Maia probably inspires calmness Alec guesses. “Just stick around; I’ll probably have some more questions.”

The sheriff sends a polite nod Maryse’s way and turns towards where Izzy and Alec rush up the steps quietly to avoid being seen. They slip past Jace’s room door already firmly shut for the night and close themselves into Alec’s.

“Did you hear that Alec? Mystery zombie woman,” Izzy starts. “That can’t be a coincidence. Floaty head tells us an evil woman lost to the waters is coming back to destroy the earth and boom Dad’s crew drags up a zombie lady.”

“I heard,” Alec responds heavily sitting down on his bed. “Are you going back to the quarry tomorrow? You never really gave an answer.”

Izzy sits next to him resting her head on his shoulder. “I know you are,” she replies a smirk at the corner of her lips.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” he huffs. He knows she’s trying to get him to talk about Magnus, but he really doesn’t want to talk about how it’s gone from a faraway crush to something that involves a lot of hand holding, stuttering and saying things in decidedly non-platonic ways like ‘together or not at all.’ It’s probably the best thing that’s happened to him lately, it’s also incredibly terrifying.

“I’ll go, as long as Maia is going. Simon’s already in obviously. And you, well big brother if Magnus is there you’re there and I don’t want to miss you continue to charm him with your weird ass ways.”

Alec smiles at that knowing she won’t push further about it, at least not tonight. He’s grateful for his little sister every single day. This time it’s Alec’s turn to smirk, “Speaking of Maia, I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s up with the two of you? Aside from clearly trying to give Lewis daily heart attacks by winking at him.” 

“She’s a friend,” Izzy shrugs getting up from the bed and moving towards the door.

“A friend?”

“Yeah, a friend,” Izzy says slyly turning around to face Alec as she reaches for the doorknob. “Just like Magnus is your _friend_.” Alec sputters at that having no time to gather his words as Izzy delightedly cackles running across the hall to her own room. Alec simply gets up closing his door, leaning back heavily on it. Yeah, Magnus is definitely not just his friend and that shouldn’t be the most pressing thing in his life right now, the impending apocalypse probably should be, and yet when Alec settles into bed for the night eyes shut peacefully drifting to sleep all he can see are a pair of deep brown eyes looking back at him.

***

Magnus got here way too early. He knows that. He’d texted Alec that morning and they’d decided to meet up around two. He’s been here since eleven, telling his mother that he’d be at a friend’s house for the day.

He’s been sitting here on this boulder outside waiting to talk to Alec for hours. They’re going to start training for the apocalypse but the thing he’s most nervous about is seeing Alec. They’ve not spoken one on one since the quarry, except for the somewhat terrifying text Izzy had sent out late that night about the Sheriff's visit to the Lightwood home, a tale Maia had confirmed when she’d asked her guardian how his day was. The fact that this Lilith person may be nearing leaves Magnus a little more terrified than he had been the day before. He just wants to be around his newfound friends in the hopes he’ll calm down a bit. Specifically one of those _friends_. 

Not that he and Alec are friends, he’s frankly not sure what the hell they are now. A few days ago they were practically strangers, just two kids at the same school that have been engaging in accidental staring contests during lunch and classes they’ve had together for three years. The universe was never even kind enough to pair them together for a class project.

They were two people living in the same town, but seemingly worlds apart no matter how much they wanted to be in each other’s orbits. But now, now their staring has evolved into action and talking and god, Magnus doesn’t want it to stop. He wants to keep finding excuses to hold Alec’s hand and get to know every little thing about the once mysterious quarterback. Sure there’s an upcoming apocalypse they have to fight, but Magnus will be damned if he’s not going to find a way to squeeze in the time to keep this thing that’s blossomed between he and Alec going.

Magnus is so caught up in his own head thinking about Alexander Lightwood he doesn’t hear the footsteps of said Alexander Lightwood nearing him.

“Hey,” Alec quietly breathes out as he rounds to stand in front of Magnus startling him to almost fall off the boulder he’s made camp on for the past three hours.

“Sorry,” Alec continues, looking more amused than sorry.

“No you’re not,” Magnus says rolling his eyes and he hops down off the boulder coming to stand before Alec as he allows the smile he’d been holding back to bloom. _He’s got a pretty smile_ Magnus thinks before checking himself back into the conversation at hand looking around to see Alec has arrived alone. “So just you and me, huh?”

“Yes,” Alec responds immediately as he not so subtly eyes Magnus up and down, his breath momentarily catching in his throat. “I mean- no, not- we’re, Izzy is – she’s outside still, I think. Maia picked us up and Simon too they’re outside talking about something. So, not just us.”

“Shame,” Magnus smiles at Alec’s use of us, quickly adding, “I mean not a shame for humanity, obviously five superheroes are better than two, just a shame for other reasons.”

Alec smiles at that a huge thousand watt smile that makes Magnus respond back with one just as wide. They haven’t said anything for a few minutes and it pains Magnus to do so but he has to break the silence, but then Alec beats him to it.

“We should um, we should really, you know probably,” he says gesturing towards the entrance of the ship.

“Right,” Magnus responds. “We should join the party.”

“Right,” Alec replies and without missing a beat he's off towards the door. If Magnus wasn’t so certain of Alec’s returned interest he’d be worried that Alec just literally ran away from him. Magnus turns on his heel to watch Alec’s retreating form when he hears a delighted series of giggles at his back.

“I wish I could say that he’ll stop being such a disaster, but he really doesn’t know how to function around you,” Izzy says still giggling as she walks out into the cavern Maia and Simon on her heels sporting equally as humored grins.

“Well luckily I find it charming,” Magnus smiles back which brings a less teasing and more truly happy smile to Izzy’s face as the four of them step into the ship where Alec just abruptly retreated.

Much to Magnus’ surprise Alec is standing directly inside of the door an embarrassed, but pleased look on his face that says he just heard what Magnus said. Magnus is opening his mouth ready to say anything that will express just how much Magnus does find it all charming and make the embarrassed part of that look fade from Alec’s face, but of course, as is becoming the current usual, his attempts to woo Alexander Lightwood are rudely interrupted.

“You’re back!” Alpha shouts scuttling his way towards them. “I was so worried you wouldn’t come back! But you did! And you’re here! Which means training can begin, training, training, training! The fun part before the apocalyptic stuff! Come along, time to morph!”

“Time to what now?” Magnus asks. Alpha merely replies repeating the word morph over and over again as if that makes it all clear as they follow behind the small robot. He gestures to the five spaces that they’d all stood in before and without much thought step into the same spaces they had the day before, the why the hell attitude they’re all embracing now seemingly in full effect. Once Simon who staggered behind a bit steps into his space the center once again glows, Ithuriel appearing before them suddenly.

“Morphing,” Ithuriel begins finally answering Magnus’ question. “Is how you activate the armor that now exists within you, without it Lilith will easily annihilate you all.”

“No pressure or anything,” Alec mumbles under his breath making Magnus snort in response.

Ithuriel whips around to them at the sound.  

“There is pressure, that cannot be denied, but it’s pressure you can each handle otherwise the stones never would have chosen you. Now, I need you all to close your eyes and focus, think only of the power you have inside and of each other then you will be able to morph.”

Magnus makes eye contact with Alec a brief encouraging smile on his lips and then shuts his eyes focusing on the power he feels itching under his skin now and the four people around him. Underneath his feet he feels a gust of air then a shock running up his arms. He distantly hears Alpha exclaiming something, but it’s faded back by the air and energy whirling around him. He assumes this means the morphing is working so he keeps focusing and focusing, but as fast as the wind and energy had begun he feels it peter out around them, a cosmic shift under their feet causing his eyes to fly open. Looking down at his hands there’s no armor, no energy, just the five of the standing in a circle looking from their hands to one another, a dejected looking robot in the corner and Ithuriel’s disappointed face floating before them.

“Again,” he says no room for argument. So they try again and again, each time Magnus focuses he thinks about Alec, sweet, kind, endearing Alec and the others, he feels the energy beating double time under his skin and then like a rope pulled too tight it snaps and there’s just silence around them. By the fourth attempt Ithuriel has clearly had enough.

“Take them to pit!” His voice booms in Alpha’s direction.

“The pit? Sir, without armor-“

“They’ll have to manage for now; they clearly won’t be morphing today,” he says a little angry and a lot disappointed. And just like that his face is gone leaving the group to shift their gazes to the usually upbeat robot who’s shoulders seem slumped. Within a second though the cheer is back, his frisbee head lighting up.

“Well, kids to the pit we go!”

Magnus really wishes every sentence Alpha said didn’t have an exclamation point at the end of it. He’s all for positive enthusiasm, but Alpha runs on way too much and something called the pit doesn’t sound like much of a party.

***

The pit is, well exactly what it sounds like, a giant rock encrusted pit that if it weren’t for their newly acquired superpowers Alec would probably be sliding down the side of embarrassingly breaking a few bones. Yet, somehow despite superpowers Alec does still manage to catch his foot on a jagged rock at the bottom of the pit. The upside of his stumble is that Magnus quickly reaches out grabbing his arm to prevent any further stumbling. Alec decides then and there free falling down the side of this pit would be absolutely worth it for the smile Magnus gives him as Alpha begins explaining what exactly they’ll be doing in the pit.

Training it seems will be primarily be about hand to hand combat until they can learn to morph into their armor. It doesn’t seem too difficult as a concept to Alec, he’s had his fair share of fist fights with Jace as a brother and years of football training have left him in good shape. Alpha is carrying on about how they’ll fight, what will be the best way to learn, and about Lilith’s army, rock formation creatures that he pulls up holograms of. Alec’s fairly certain Alpha calls them putties which sounds like a dumb name for an army, but Alec can’t be bothered by that because he had stopped listening to him completely since Magnus decided to take off his jacket revealing a tight black tank top and arms that Alec would very much like to be held in.

He’s staring. He knows he’s staring, he also knows that Magnus is well aware that he’s staring and can’t seem to be bothered by the fact. A fact confirmed when Magnus looks up at him and smirks all too knowingly. The only thing in the world that could break Alec’s stare from Magnus’s toned arms is his brown eyes looking into his. But because the universe hates him another staring contest is broken when Simon opens his mouth.

“It’s just a hologram, we can handle that!” He says advancing towards the rock creature Alpha has made appear without fear, no concern etched on his face in the slightest as the creature reacts sweeping Simon’s legs right out from under him.

“Pretty solid for a hologram,” Maia chuckles as Simon groans on the ground. Magnus walks over extending a hand to help Simon up, as he does his arm flexes in a way that has Alec groaning about as much as Simon is, but for a very different reason.

“As you can see these are fully interactive, now watch what I do and we can get started,” Alpha says as he instructs them with a tinier version of the rock creatures. After showing them a few complicated moves they pair off, Izzy and Maia immediately high fiving while Alec shyly nods towards Magnus leaving Simon in the corner to practice technique with a barely three foot tall robot. Alec would feel bad about leaving Simon to that difficulty, but all guilt flies out of his mind when he starts sparring with Magnus.

Magnus clearly knows what he’s doing, not a stranger to a fight and Alec should be better at this than he is, he has years of various martial arts training under his belt, but Magnus is deeply distracting with his smirks and innuendos ranging from the sweet, “You can be a real knock out,” to the downright blush inducing, “Let’s go _hard_ Alexander.” Alec finds himself on his ass more times than he can count either because of Magnus being distracting from the sidelines as he fights off another creature or his fear that he might accidentally go a little too hard on Magnus, no pun intended.

“You’re holding back,” Magnus says a few rounds in. Alec knows he’s talking about the hand to hand, but he can’t help but think it’s layered with other meaning as well, so Alec just raises his eyebrow at Magnus feigning ignorance.

“As cute as it is, don’t give me that,” he continues. “I’m not fragile Alexander; I trust you not break me.”

And that definitely has double meaning, this thing between them is more intense today and Alec wants it, he really, really wants it. He wants to feel like they can be more than just flirting sort-of friends, he wants to let go. It should feel intimidating to watch as Magnus steps closer a smile on his lips, but instead it gives Alec a boost of confidence he didn’t realize he needed. He’s always felt comfortable in Magnus’ presence, but for the first time he feels totally self-aware in front him. Magnus is close now practically nose to nose with Alec. He’s spent the past hour making physical contact with the man before him, he’s hot and drenched in sweat, exhausted already even, but this feels like he’s on fire. When he speaks his words don’t come out shy or hidden behind a tentative smile, hell they’re borderline cocky.

“Okay.”

Magnus’s smile curves into a smirk, “Okay.”

“Let’s play.” Alec stops holding back then and there and resolves to do so even more in the future.

***

After he gets Alec to let loose the day goes by a lot faster. Magnus enjoys, maybe a little too much, having a sweaty muscular Alec with him, but that doesn’t mean he’s also not damned tired by the fifth hour of training. Hours of sweaty, but delightful, hand to hand have gone off without a hitch. His flirting with Alec hasn’t been remotely subtle, but Alec’s responses have been more confident than ever before. He likes it. He likes it a lot.

They’ve had zero luck with the morphing, trying again as the day comes to an end. Magnus knows the armor is probably important considering the bumps and bruises each of them are adorning from the very much not holographic putties, but he can’t complain about the fact that no armor gives Magnus an excuse to touch Alec and to stare without any shame.

Alec shouldn’t look as damn good as he does while being as sweaty as he is. Magnus had always assumed that under the clothes Alec’s built well, he was a quarterback until very recently after all, but he hadn’t been prepared for the moment he actually got to see a glimpse of it. Between one face off with a creature and the next Alec had lifted his dark t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow, his abs on full display and Magnus had briefly short circuited only coming back online when Izzy slipped past bumping her hip to his and giggling. Magnus should probably feel embarrassed about being so blatantly caught, but it’s not as if Alec’s practical drooling at Magnus’ arms has gone unnoticed by everyone in the pit.

Overall though it’s been an exhausting day, there’s an apocalypse looming still and they clearly have a lot of kinks to work out before they’re fit to face an all-powerful evil, but it’s also been one of the better days Magnus has had in a while. He doesn’t have many friends here in Idris Grove, but he’s spent this one laughing with new ones, teaming up with Maia and Izzy to throw pebbles at Simon every time he decided to once again start singing ‘The Pittttttt.’ Despite the insane reason, he can’t help but be grateful for having these four people in his life now.  

Three of whom dart out of the quarry almost the immediate second that Alpha calls it day mumbling something about ‘youths’ under his breath as they practically knock him over in their rush out. Magnus takes his time gathering his things as Alec stands off to the side clearly waiting so he can walk out with Magnus.

They take their time walking back to the place Magnus and Maia had left their cars. It’s getting dark out, the air cooler and it feels a lot nicer than the damp muggy air they’ve been inhaling all day long. The walk is quite, companionable, but in no way awkward. Magnus is used to talking, he’s aware that sometimes he does too much of it, either to fill awkward silences with people he doesn’t have much to actually say to or to deflect from something he doesn’t want to talk about. With Alec however, it feels alright to just enjoy the quiet, to fill the space together no need for mindless small talk, but not quite ready for the bigger talks yet either.

“It’d be nice if occasionally she told where she was going or you know didn’t abandon me,” Alec sighs breaking the silence as they reach their destination Maia’s car clearly long gone with the dynamic trio nowhere to be seen.

“Abandon?” Magnus chuckles, feigning offense. “Is it so terrible to be stuck with me?”

Alec smiles at that, shaking his head as if that’s the single most ludicrous thing in the world.

“Definitely not terrible.”

“Come on, I can give you a ride back, I have a sneaking suspicion your sister knew exactly what she was doing when she ‘abandoned’ you,” Magnus smiles exaggeratedly opening the passenger door to his banged up old Civic for Alec. Alec just smiles, he knows his sister better than Magnus does of course and it’s clear he knows exactly what she was doing as well.

The ride to Alec’s is more talkative than their walk had been. As soft music plays from the radio they talk about the toughness of the day, ways that they could get Simon to stop singing that song and Magnus offers up some details about himself that he never thought he’d get to share with Alec including his minor Oscar Wilde obsession which Alec delightfully shares.

“A literary man, huh?” Magnus says as he pulls to a stop in the alleyway behind Alec’s house, Alec nodding in response immediately. “You really are a man after my own heart aren’t you Alexander?”

“Yeah,” Alec responds softly, almost reverently. “I guess I am.”

At that whispered confession like response Magnus has never wanted to kiss someone so badly in his entire life. He looks into Alec’s eyes as they drift from his to Magnus’ lips their faces moving in closer and closer. Their lips are within barely an inch of one another when Alec’s phone blares from his pocket startling them both back faces now more than a foot apart, but feeling like miles with how blissfully close they’d been just seconds ago. Alec looks apologetic as he answers responding quickly to whoever is on the other end.

“That was Izzy, I should get inside Mom’s calling us down for dinner,” Alec says after he hangs up smiling a little sadly. Magnus smiles back, knowing that feeling of disappointment he would have gladly kissed Alec in the car for hours, but the moment’s broken and he doesn’t want their first kiss to be a rushed goodbye as Alec sneaks back into his home.

“I understand,” he responds as an idea pops into his head, he wants to get to know Alec, wants Alec to get to know him and as fun as flirting is this car ride has been the most they’ve gotten to really talk. “How about I pick you up when we go to the quarry and maybe for Breakfast Club too? I know you don’t exactly have your own car anymore, plus this way you won’t have to rely on our favorite trio not rushing off every day, you know if that’s something you’d want.”

He adds on the random reasoning at the end, mostly out of a slight nervousness that Alec might say no. But Alec doesn’t miss a beat as he’s reaching for the door handle turning back to Magnus a wide smile on his gorgeous face.

“I’d love that,” he says. “But you gotta let me give you some gas money I’d feel bad not contributing in some way.”

Alec is so damn sweet.

“Your company is contribution enough,” Magnus smiles back. Alec just laughs in response, clearly not accepting that his company will be contribution enough. Alec is a bit stubborn and Magnus can assume that no matter his protests, Alec will find some way to slip gas money into his pocket during training if that’s what it takes.

“Goodnight, Magnus.” Alec says already out of the car stooping down to peer through the passenger window, the sunset catching in his hazel eyes illuminating them in a golden light.

“Goodnight, Alexander.”

Magnus watches somewhat dreamily, and a little bit hungrily, as Alec turns towards the house scaling his way up the side of it and into his bedroom window turning to wave sweetly down at Magnus. Magnus waves back and drives off a smile refusing to leave his face all the way home.

***

He can’t stop thinking about the fact that he had almost kissed Magnus. That Magnus had almost kissed him. He’s known Magnus for three years technically, crushing from afar, but in one day he’s learned more about him that in those entire three years. He’s disappointed they didn’t get to kiss, but he’s also over the moon that now he’ll have other opportunities. He’s going to spend a guaranteed amount of time alone with Magnus every day now, just driving and talking.

Alec doesn’t hear a word that’s said during dinner a thing he regrets later when Izzy tells him about a gold robbery at the jewelry store in town their mother had talked about. He thinks about what Alpha had told them about Lilith’s need for gold to build her weapon and strength back up. It will take some more time, but she’s coming; the reality of it seems to be inching closer every day since they all woke up with superpowers. And Alec’s here embarrassingly thinking that he needs to be certain to not let another opportunity to kiss Magnus slip by, just in case the apocalypse doesn’t go their way.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: friendship is magic, plus Malec get to know each other even more.
> 
> tumblr: alecmagnuslwb


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consistent posting schedule? I don't know her :)

The second day of training in the pit somehow goes worse than the first. The news of the gold thefts around town mixed with the concerning lack of leads the police seem to have on the missing dead body that was found on the Lightwood patriarch’s boat leave everyone a little unsettled. Ithuriel is clearly becoming increasingly annoyed with their inability to morph yet and truthfully Alec can’t blame him. Even Alpha’s usual cheery demeanor is a bit dampened.

The upside to the day is that Alec finds himself alone with Magnus both to and from the quarry. They don’t talk about their almost kiss the day before, but they still talk, a lot. Alec thought he’d liked Magnus before. Thought that the glimpses of smiles, the point of his eyeliner and the all too brief conversations they’d had were charming but now Alec feels like he’s gone far beyond the crush this once was so quickly. Magnus is witty, but never in a cruel way, he’s smart, smarter than Alec ever knew, he loves music and Oscar Wilde and Alec never believed they’d have so much in common.

The third day in the pit is better, they still can’t seem to manage to morph, but they’re working together as a unit more strongly than before. The ride to the quarry, and earlier that day to the Breakfast Club, a thing that despite Ithuriel’s words they really can’t afford to all skip out on apocalypse or not,  is once again filled with conversation about everything and nothing except their almost kiss.

Alec feels like he should be concerned that they don’t talk about it, but he’s not. He feels safe with Magnus, confident in ways he doesn’t feel with anyone else. Because despite Magnus’s smiles and upbeat behavior there’s also an undercurrent that’s a little sad, a little scared. Alec gets it, so he doesn’t push; despite the struggles they’re still experiencing as a team he feels like their world isn’t about to end so they have time; as much time as they need.

After a day in school and hours of training while simultaneously being distracted by Magnus, who’s opted to wear a red tank top today with matching glittering liner that magically hasn’t smudged all day long, Alec is exhausted. He just wants to ride home with Magnus talk about something stupid and if he manages to take a five minute shower and fall asleep in less than ten he’s pretty sure he can clock in a good nine hours of sleep before school tomorrow. That however all flies out the window as Simon grabs him by the arm as the group walks towards their cars.

“I need your help,” Simon begins. “I think I may know where to find the Zeo Crystal, but I can’t go by myself and if all five of us go we’ll definitely get caught.”

“Caught?” Alec sighs, he doesn’t like where this is heading. “Caught sounds a hell of a lot like you think it’s somewhere we aren’t allowed to be. You do realize I’m already actively breaking the law everyday with this ankle bracelet trick, right?”

“I do, but that’s kinda why I thought you would be the best partner in crime you do have breaking and entering experience.”

Simon says it and only barely just restrains his laughter, Alec doesn’t find it quite as funny, but he does think Simon has a point.

“Fine, we can go tomorrow,” Alec says starting off towards where Magnus is talking to Izzy and Maia. Simon however has different ideas.

“Can’t be tomorrow,” he says rushing in front of Alec blocking his path. “You see Dot’s Donuts closes early on Wednesdays so today’s the best day.”

“Dot’s Donuts? You want to break into a donut shop that we could go to during the daily open hours instead of risking arrest?”

“It’s not like they’re displaying the crystal next to chocolate glazes! It’s probably hundreds of feet underground. Plus, I doubt they’ll let a squirrely guy with a detector he made out of toaster pieces walk in in the middle of the day and go about his business.”

Alec hates that that sounds reasonable. He hates that he’s gonna have to leave here in Simon’s mom’s car, which he can’t believe after seeing him drive only briefly and after the van got “stolen” she’s letting him do, instead of in the passenger seat beside Magnus. But above all else he hates that he might end up with donut thief on his juvie record. But despite all that Alec agrees to the plan, he can’t let Simon go into this alone. He trudges towards where Magnus still stands talking to the girls.

“So, Simon thinks he knows where the crystal is,” Alec says as he reaches them.

“That’s a good thing, right?” Maia responds first.

“Unless Lilith knows where it is too,” Izzy says grimly.

“Well if we believe everything Ithuriel’s told us she’s as clueless as he is, and since we know she’s not at full power yet I doubt she knows any more than we do,” Alec starts then turns his eyes to Magnus. “So I’m gonna ride with him and go see if his theory is right.”

“That doesn’t sound safe,” Magnus says worry etched across his beautiful face.

“I’ll be okay,” Alec says softly. “Simon’s hunches are rarely wrong and it’s not like we’re gonna dig it up he says he’s got some detector that’ll tell us for sure if it’s there. I can’t let him go alone he’s not exactly subtle, it’ll be okay. I promise.”

He smiles reassuringly at Magnus and Magnus hesitates a bit, clearly still worried but eventually smiles back in kind.

“I can give you lovely ladies a ride then,” Magnus says gesturing to the girls who both share a look giving Magnus and Alec a moment alone. “You better call me so I know you’re alright later, Alexander,” Magnus continues poking Alec in the chest lightly.

“I will, I promise,” Alec says reaching out and grabbing the hand that Magnus is lowering from Alec’s chest. He squeezes once comfortingly and the air feels almost as charged as it had two night’s before. God, Alec wants to kiss Magnus. But he’s also acutely aware of his baby sister and Maia not so subtly watching them from inside Magnus’ car so he settles for leaning in to place a light kiss on Magnus’ cheek. Slightly chapped lips meet soft skin and Alec feels like there’s electricity sparking at point of contact. It’s exhilarating and proof that when they actually do kiss Alec very well might not survive. When he pulls back a little embarrassed hoping that he hadn’t just crossed a line he sees Magnus’ smile and the slightest hint of a blush and knows he made the right call.

“You charmer,” Magnus says as he squeezes Alec’s hand one last time slipping away to the driver’s side of the car. Alec stands there a little dumbfounded that he was bold enough to do what he’s just done smiling dopily at the spot Magnus had been until the car pulls away. Alec shakes his head from his Magnus daze walking to Simon’s car, sure not riding home with Magnus is disappointing, but he can’t be too bummed about the way things turned out.

***

Izzy and Maia don’t even waste a single minute before they start teasing Magnus about the cheek kiss he just received. Magnus would be annoyed by the cooing and awing if it weren’t for the fact that he’s missed having friends like this. Since he moved to Idris he’s kept to himself mostly but this, being teased by people he thinks he can say are really his friends is nice. It’s a small comfort he hadn’t realized he’d been missing. That being said when they start singing ‘Magnus and Alec kissing in a tree’ he has to put a stop to it.

“That’s enough, don’t make me turn this car around,” Magnus jokes.  

“Okay, dad,” Maia deadpans from the backseat just as Izzy perks up from the passenger seat a more serious look on her face.

“Seriously though Magnus, all jokes and admittedly creative songs aside, it’s a good thing,” she says. “My brother isn’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type, but he’s been a lot more at ease lately and I’ve definitely never seen him smile as much as he does around you.”

“Really?” Magnus asks sounding a lot less confident than he wants to. He knows Alec likes him, that’s clear, but he’s still unsure that this is real. That Alec feels as strongly as he does so quickly, because Magnus hasn’t smiled this much in a long time either.

“Really,” Izzy responds placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I can’t believe he kissed you on the cheek! I never knew my big brother was such a sap!”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Magnus teases making Izzy cackle delightfully. They drive in silence for a bit after that allowing Magnus the chance to mull over Izzy’s words a bit more. Hearing about Alec’s feelings for him from someone else’s perspective, particularly from someone who knows Alec better than anyone, is comforting to say the least.

“Can I ask you something else? Something not Alec related?” he asks breaking the silence. Izzy merely nods as Magnus continues, “What’s up with you two and Simon?”

He’s noticed it, from the corner of his eye when he’s not too distracted by Alec, there’s something going on between the three of them. Maia and Izzy clearly have a connection that goes beyond friendship and now the way they tease and support Simon it’s clear he’s become a part of the equation as well.

“It’s in the early stages of development,” Izzy says a little shyly tilting back to look at Maia. “We’re all figuring it out, it’ll be a while before we do I’m sure. You and Alec better figure your stuff out first, we need the inspiration.”

Magnus laughs at that, he’s happy for them, “No pressure or anything.”              

“I think we need to try to see what Luke knows about the gold thefts and the missing body,” Maia suddenly says as they near her home changing the subject a bit abruptly.

“I know you said your uncle is nice, but I doubt he’s nice enough to let us just look at police files,” Izzy says shifting her eyes back to Maia.

Magnus knew that the Sheriff had taken Maia in after she’s had some trouble at home; he hadn’t realized they actually were related.

“Well yeah, okay, maybe he’s not that nice, but it’s a small town he brings a lot of his work home and he’s on the night shift tonight, has been pretty much every night since our sea witch killed that deputy he’s taken it pretty hard, so we can break into his office we just have to pick the lock.”

“How much more could he really know though?” Magnus questions as he turns onto Maia’s street. “If the local police were aware that an all-powerful alien was responsible I’m sure we would’ve heard about that by now.”

“Well, yeah, but if Simon and Alec are tracking down the crystal maybe we can go on our own mission and the files might give us some information on how to track down Lilith. Catch her off guard, ya know.”

Magnus pulls up in front of Maia’s house at that and turns to look at the girls.

“Well then let’s do our version of a light B&E then.”

As they head up towards the house, Izzy suddenly stops in her tracks inquiring about Clary, Luke’s daughter.

“Two day track meet, a half a day away she won’t be back till the morning. Plus even if she was here, that girl always has her headphones in and she wouldn’t hear a thing,” Maia explains with a quiet laugh that says it’s some inside joke between the pair.

The inside of Maia’s house isn’t what Magnus expected the inside of a cop’s house to look like. Colorful paintings line nearly every wall of the two rooms they pass through to get to Sheriff Garroway’s office, its bright, cheery even.

“Clary's mom was a painter,” Maia smiles as she spots Magnus looking around. “Clary is too some of these are hers. I’m pretty into sea creatures and she actually painted me a whole ocean scene when I first moved here.”

Maia says it fondly, Magnus doesn’t know much about how Maia ended up living with her uncle but it’s clear she has an affection towards both him and his daughter. He actually realizes in that moment he doesn’t know all that much about Maia herself, he’s learned a lot about Izzy through Alec, but Maia has remained a more quiet mystery amongst their group.

“Luke’s not technically my uncle, he was my dad’s best friend years ago before my brother died,” Maia continues answering Magnus’s unasked question. “Things got kinda weird at home after that; my parents didn’t really know what to do with me so they sent me here. Luke lost Jocelyn, Clary's mom, around the same time, Clary’s his sort of step-daughter technically and I’m his not-niece, but we make it work alright.”

“Family doesn’t always have to be blood,” Magnus smiles in response. He gets it. He has his mother, but there’s a long sordid history when it comes to his blood family otherwise. Back in New York he’s got a small group of friends that don’t have any blood relation to him but mean just as much as blood ever could.

“That it does not,” Maia responds it’s safe to say they have that common ground. When they reach the door to Luke’s office Izzy immediately pulls a pair of bobby pins from her hair and gets to work picking the lock.

Magnus chuckles, “I see Alexander is not the only one with experience in breaking and entering.”

“Please, who do you think taught him?” Izzy responds with a smirk, mere seconds later she whispers an excited ‘yes’ under her breath signifying she’s gotten the door open.

The three enter the office and this, this looks a lot more like what Magnus assumed the inside of a cops house would look like. There are endless piles of folders and overflowing files, there’s a desk in the middle that can barely be seen anymore. Numerous file cabinets are busting at the seams and a large map of the town covers the big window on the far wall. The walls have a few police medals on them, but a few paintings are around as well.  The only real sign that this is someone’s office and not the nest of a bird that’s really into crime is the framed photo that sits proudly on top of the first filing cabinet seen upon entrance. It’s a selfie that can’t be more than a month or two old of Maia and Clary smiling brightly as Luke tries to hide his face from the camera. Magnus bet’s Sheriff Garroway is as nice as Maia says he is.

“Where exactly in this nest do you think we’ll find the files?” Magnus asks drifting behind the desk trying to not jostle anything too much that would lead to the sheriff noticing.

“Believe it or not there’s a method to the madness,” Maia says. “The latest files should be in the blue folders near the top.”

Magnus finds the blue folders almost immediately handing a few to each of the girls so they can get through the pile faster he bypasses the slim file about the deputy that Lilith killed after waking up, he knows there’s nothing new there. It’s sad to think but chances are the only people who will ever truly know about what happened to him are the five of them, a floating head and a tiny robot. Magnus wishes there was some way to explain it all to the sheriff at least. They all read in silence, Izzy finishing her stack first revealing no new information, Maia finishes moments later with the same results, Magnus however sees a pattern in his files, a pattern that in hindsight makes a lot of sense.

“The docks,” he starts gaining the attention of the other two. “I don’t think she ever left the docks.”

The girls crowd around him to look at the files he’s opening across the desk. A series of minor robberies that haven’t made the news like the late night jewelry store heist had, gold jewelry, even on one occasion the golden teeth of a homeless man, have been happening in the same location. Locally it’s known as the Bay of Lost Souls. Ghost stories that have evolved over the years tell of the many pirates that docked there and lost their lives earning the dock its eerie name.

“That’s close to where dad’s boat found that body, if there was ever any doubt it was Lilith it’s a guarantee now,” Izzy says.

“That bay doesn’t have many places where someone could hide like that, it won’t be hard to find her when we need to,” Magnus says though he’s well aware they’re nowhere near ready to confront her not until they all figure out how morph at least. Izzy says just that aloud.

“We should tell the others though. Maybe Simon can figure out a way to narrow it down without actually heading down there yet,” Magnus says. “And even if he can’t we know where she is and she doesn’t know where we are, add that to the fact that hopefully Alexander and Simon are successful tonight, we’ve got the upper hand for now and that has to count for something.”

The three share a look at that. While training and making jokes about pits has been fun every day that passes is day closer to a fight they know is coming. Lilith isn’t at full capacity yet, but she will be soon enough if the amount of robberies in the files in front of Magnus are anything to go by. They have the upper hand right now, but if they don’t figure out how to morph soon they’ll lose all of the lead they have.

***

Alec’s very glad he came with Simon. Since they parked the car in the alley a little ways down behind Dot’s Donuts Simon has managed to forget to turn off the headlights, dropped his keys twice while opening the trunk and dropped at least seven other things not at all quietly as they walk. Alec doesn’t want to know how bad this would be if he wasn’t here.

Luckily, Idris Grove is a small town, it’s after 9pm so the town is essentially a dead zone and even with Simon’s lack of stealth they should be safe.

“So what exactly does that thing do?” Alec asks quietly tilting his head towards the strange metallic contraption blinking intermittently in Simon's hand as he bends down with two bobby pins he luckily found in the glove compartment to pick the lock to the shop’s backroom. Another benefit of their small town is the lack of camera’s and security in most of the stores.

“Where’d you learn to do that?” Simon asks instead of answering Alec’s question.

“Izzy,” he shrugs turning back to the lock. “She dated this very earthy dude, Meliorn, for a while. He was big on protest break in’s at facilities that did animal testing, she picked up a few things. You didn’t answer my question.”

“Oh, well I’ve been asking Ithuriel and Alpha a bit more about the crystal and while it’s not a known to man energy source it is still energy and a lot of it, so this,” Simon says shaking the contraption in the air. “Is essentially a metal detector, but with modifications that will pick up on any massive energy waves coming from underneath the ground no matter how deep they go. At least it will in theory.”

The last time Simon had a theory Alec found himself no longer a prisoner in his own home, he’s willing to believe this theory will work out just as well. Alec picks the lock free, sliding the door open slowly walking in first to ensure Simon doesn’t run into anything in the darkness.

“How exactly did you figure out this is where the crystal might be?” Alec whispers as the step through the lowly lit backroom quietly.

Simon looks surprised at the fact Alec has asked him a second question. Alec gets the feeling that most people regret offering him a first once he starts talking. And while Simon does have a tendency to ramble and get a little long winded in response to the simplest of questions Alec does find what he has to say interesting most of the time. Plus, Alec is acutely aware of what’s it like to be ignored when you talk, his parents have been it doing for years, so he makes a point not to do the same to anyone.

“Well, that was definitely the easy part. My dad collected old maps of the town, so I went back as far as I could and compared it with the most recent one released. Ithuriel said the crystal was located roughly twenty kilometers from where they crashed the ship to prevent Lilith from getting close to it. So using the possibly trajectory’s the crystal could’ve had from the coordinates of the crash site I narrowed it down to four locations, this one seemed like the most likely though due to direction the ship was heading when it landed as well as it's central location in town.”

“Wow, good job,” Alec says truly meaning it as they step into the main room of the shop. “Seems like your dad has been a real guiding force throughout this whole thing hasn’t he?”

Alec’s intended to ask more about Simon’s dad since he’d first mentioned him on that fateful night not even a week ago, but the opportunity hasn’t come up.

“Yeah he has,” Simon says pushing his glasses up as he crouches to the ground moving the detector across ground. “He was a professor of archeology before my sister was born, he went to online teaching after mom had me so he didn’t have to commute so much, I learned a lot of this stuff from him.”

Alec smiles at that, he’s never had a good relationship of any sort with his father and it’s only gotten worse lately, but it’s clear that Simon had something pretty extraordinary with his dad. It doesn’t make Alec jealous to hear or sad, it just makes him glad that someone as misunderstood as Simon had somebody that always understood him.

“I’m sure he’d be proud,” Alec says genuinely. Simon looks up and smiles at that.

“Ya know I may have technically tricked you into acting like we could be friends at first, and this whole thing definitely got weirder than it was supposed to, but I guess we kinda are friends now, huh?”

Alec laughs, “Yeah, I guess we kinda are.”

“And since we’re friends, it means when you marry Magnus you have to make me your best man because it’s all because of me that you get to spend so much time together,” he chuckles as he continues moving close to the floor.

Alec sputters at that, “Okay, we’re not getting married, we’re seventeen and we also haven’t even kissed so maybe don’t buy your tux just yet. Plus if we weren’t friends I’d be with him right now so don’t give yourself too much credit.”

Simon laughs loudly at that causing Alec to shoot him a glare. Alec really doesn’t mind that he talks so much but he has to be quiet.

Simon quiets down just as the device in his hand starts blowing up, a cascade of lights.

“I was right!” Simon yells, earning another glare from Alec. He quiets once again jumping to his feet practically dancing with silent excitement.

“So it’s here? You’re sure?”

“Positive nothing else under a donut shop would emit this much energy,” Simon stage whispers. “We can’t get to it, but we know where we need to protect.”

“Which means we finally have at least one upper hand on Lilith,” Alec smirks, this break-in has officially gone a lot better than the last one he took part in.

***

When Magnus drops Izzy off at home there’s no light emanating from Alec’s window, he and Simon must still be in town but there’s been no news of the former quarterback being arrested again on the radio so Magnus hopes he’s alright.

Magnus’ mom is long asleep by the time he gets home so he quietly slips into his room. He feels like he’s barely seen her since Friday, between school and training, which as far as she knows is just Magnus finally branching out and making new friends, he’s really only been sleeping here and that’s about it.

He knows she worries, but he also knows that despite her health being better than ever before telling his mother that he’s a superhero won’t go over well. He leans back against his door eyes closed just taking a moment to breathe when he’s startled by his ringing phone.

“Alexander,” Magnus answers softly. “Am I to assume that you’re not making your one phone call from a prison cell?”

Alec chuckles on the other end a tired sigh attached, “Not this time I’m afraid. We keep up like this you might get a call like that one day though.”

It’s Magnus’s turn to laugh at that, “Well I better start saving up now to be sure I’ve got your bail money ready.”

Magnus heaves himself off the door and lies down on his bed eyes drifting across the ceiling as Alec responds.

“Nah, wouldn’t want you to waste your money. Just make sure you call Iz and she’ll get some of the Lightwood Fishing money.”

Alec talks about his sister and baby brother endlessly, but his parents and the company they have he’s never really mentioned before. Magnus wants to ask more, but not tonight, “Speak of your darling sister, did Izzy tell you what we found?”

“I haven’t talked to her, just called you as soon as I got in,” Alec responds, the fact makes Magnus smile. So, Magnus tells Alec everything they discovered in the sheriff’s office and Alec responds with the information he and Simon gained tonight.

It’s a lot to take in. If what he, Maia and Izzy had learned that night was enough to make the reality of their situation settle in what Alec tells him definitely settles it in permanently. Realistically they knew what was coming wouldn’t take long, but now they know where the crystal is and have an idea of where Lilith is as well.

“It all feels a little too real now,” Alec starts. “Like we could convince ourselves this was just insane at first, but now it’s really happening. I feel like we don’t have enough time to learn everything we need to learn.”

Magnus is scared too but if five minds like theirs can’t figure this out no one can, “We’ll get there. It might take a few more days, but we’ll get there. Training is going better than we could’ve predicted, even for Simon and Ithuriel said we won’t be able to morph until we all trust each other, know each other and we’re definitely getting there.”

“I trust you,” Alec says on a breath like the words slipped out accidentally. “So, I trust that you’re right, it’s just a little terrifying is all. Especially since I’m supposed to lead us, I don’t feel like I’ve been doing much leading.”

“You have,” Magnus responds immediately. He doesn’t just say it to simply ply Alec he means it truly. Alec’s been a guiding force for them all, Magnus may have taken the first leap into it all, but Alec followed and has been putting his trust in them all ever since. “Even if you don’t realize it, we all trust you and there’s nothing more important for a leader to have than that.”

“Even if that’s true it’s a lot easier thinking of us both as leaders, steadier together you know? Alone it feels like a lot of pressure I’m not sure what to do with,” Alec says with a deep sigh at the end.

Magnus isn’t totally sure either, but he knows that Alec can do it. He’s a born leader, he was one on the football field, he is one with his siblings and he can one be here as well.

“Well you’ll get there too just like we’ll all get there as a team,” Magnus responds the mantra they decided on days ago his guiding force. “Together or not at all, right?”

Alec softly agrees in kind. They talk for a few more minutes, mindless chatter that helps calm the storm in both of them. He makes Alec laugh loud and bright with a silly pun about robots, it sounds like sunshine. When they say goodnight the exhaustion of the day hits Magnus and when he closes his eyes not strong enough to fight the call of sleep anymore he doesn’t see flashes of their oncoming fight, just the look he knows Alec has on his face when he laughs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: lot's of Malec (like lot's of Malec ;)), plus did the power rangers fans in the house ask for Zords? Cause you're getting them!
> 
> find me on tumblr always crying about malec: alecmagnuslwb


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think you'll all like this one, all Malec fluff perfect for this flufftober :)

“Again!” Ithuriel’s voice booms as the group once again fails to morph properly.

Alec looks around at the faces of his friends; they all look a little defeated. They’d been good when the day started, but their mood has vastly plummeted as they stand once again in this damn circle unable to call upon their armor. It’s been two days since they started to put more of the puzzle pieces together, the information about the Zeo Crystal and Lilith’s possible location had unsettled them at first but then it’d inspired them. They’d come back to training on Thursday stronger than ever.

Today though is a new day, everyone is worn out, exhausted by the fact they can’t morph yet. They just want to call it a day. Instead they have to try again and probably again after that. Alec can’t fathom why it won’t work now. They trust each other that much is clear, and in every little in between moment they’ve gotten to know each other better and better, but something is still missing and Alec has no idea what it is.

So, Alec does what Ithuriel’s been telling him to do. He thinks about the group before him. About his baby sister, his new unexpected friend, the girl that makes his baby sister smile and Magnus, he definitely thinks about Magnus. The other’s all do the same and just like every time before a rush of energy and a surge of wind comes up around them. But unlike every time before, this time Alec feels the crawl of something up his legs.

“It’s working!” Alpha yells from the corner of the room.

Alec looks down to see a shade of red crawling up his legs. It looks metallic, like the shine of Alpha, but it doesn’t feel harsh like the bite of metal. It feels like water, like the pull of the stream that had brought them here in the first place days ago. He looks around to see the other’s experiencing the same thing with metal sliding like water in the shade of their rocks moving along them. Simon, Izzy and Maia are all talking excitedly as Magnus’ eyes quietly meet Alec’s from across the circle. Alec’s never felt more confident in their ability to actually do this before.

“Keep concentrating on one another!” Ithuriel shouts once again and before he even finishes the sentence Alec feels the cool metal move further along up his arms and torso and then suddenly it stops.

It just stops.

The armor is gone from all of them, the wind no longer rushing, power no longer thrumming.

Ithuriel sighs loudly facing Alpha who looks a little less excited now, “Clearly this isn’t working. Maybe they need some motivation, Alpha.”

Alpha perks up at that, “Motivation, sir?”

“Yes, motivation,” he responds knowingly, with a raise of both eyebrows which seems to do the trick. Alpha perks up at that excitedly clapping his hands together.

“Motivation,” he says with glee gesturing to the five of them. “Come with me kids!”

They’ve just spent hours in the pit; Alec prays that their idea of motivation isn’t just larger holographic putties to fight.

Alpha guides them down into a section of the caverns they’ve never been before. It’s darker down here, dark enough that much to Alec’s delight Magnus grabs his hand as they walk shrugging when Alec looks down questioningly.

“Wouldn’t want you to get lost,” he smiles with a wink that Alec can only barely see by the light of Alpha’s head lamp that’s bouncing off the walls.

“Here we are,” Alpha says almost dreamily the light on his head brightening to illuminate the entire cavern.

Alec looks up from Magnus and before them sits; well Alec’s not really sure what the mechanical looking things are.

“These are called Zords,” Alpha explains. “They’re personalized vehicles that will only respond to the individual power inside each of you. They were formed based upon the strongest beings on land, which at the time of their inception were pre-historic predators.”

And okay, yeah Alec can see that now, he’s no expert but he recalls a trip to the natural history museum in grade school that makes the shape of each vehicle clear enough to see now. There are five of them, one in each corresponding color, they all shine the way the armor they’d almost had moments before did. One looks a bit like velociraptor, its Izzy’s of course which makes more sense than Alec could ever begin to explain. Maia’s is a yellow mastodon; Simon’s a kind looking triceratops. They all start advancing towards them as Alpha continues on behind them though it’s clear from the awe on each of their faces they aren’t paying much attention.

Alec’s sits a little off to the side, as does Magnus’. Theirs are both a little larger than the other three, taking up a sizable space in the cavern. Magnus, fearless as ever walks up to his and place a hand on it to which it responds immediately. It unfolds a bit at his touch, glowing cat eyes revealed and Alec sees that it’s a sabretooth tiger, the way Magnus carries himself with a cat-like grace there couldn’t be a better match. He turns his head to smile at Alec, motioning for Alec to do the same.

So Alec does. And at his touch the red crunched up shape before him unfurls into the height of a t-rex. A damn t-rex, Alec guesses that’s a symbolic way of showing that he’s the leader. The concept of which he’d just started to get more comfortable with suddenly feels a little more impossible again. He looks over at Magnus again only to find him already looking right back a reassuring smile on his beautiful lips almost as if he could hear Alec’s uncertain thoughts. And damn if Alec isn’t overwhelmed with the want to kiss Magnus once again. It’s a completely inappropriate setting and time, but he’s thinking it.

“I’ve always wanted to be a dinosaur,” Simon yells from the other side of the cavern clearly done with silent awe. The girls giggle at that and Magnus and Alec both turn to look at him rolling their eyes fondly, their little moment broken.

“I can see you rolling your eyes,” Simon continues loudly. “But I don’t care you can synchronize judge me all you like you old married couple, you know this is cool.”

Alec sputters at that, suddenly finding the other side of the red vehicle very interesting. Once it’s clear that the trio on the other end have gone back to conversing amongst themselves he dares to look up again just as hears steps approaching him.

“Old married couple,” Magnus chuckles as he reaches Alec running his fingers along the side of the metal vehicle. “We should probably go to dinner first.”

Alec laughs loud and bright at that, echoing through the cavern. He should probably feel embarrassed about that statement, with Magnus though the flirting might catch him off guard but it never makes him feel embarrassed.

So he smiles brightly in response, “Yeah we probably should.”

Magnus’ responding smile put’s every star in the sky, even the damn sun to shame. Alec’s fairly certain it’s enough to light the whole cavern.

***

“Remember when Friday nights used to mean fun?” Izzy laments as they walk towards their cars. Thankfully introducing them to their new super vehicles did not equate to more training a thing the grumbling group couldn’t be more grateful for. Magnus in particular can’t wait to just have another moment alone with Alec especially after he’d sort of asked him out down in the cavern. At least that’s what he thinks that was.

“We’ll get back to those days,” Simon says as he sidles up next to Magnus. “Not that I was exactly Friday night party raging or anything, but you’ll get back to it. That is unless we fail to save the world, then we’ll all be dead and it won’t really matter.”

Magnus tilts his head towards Simon at that a deadpan look on his face, “Thank you for that positivity Simon, it’s inspiring.”

Izzy drags Simon over to the car at that with a parting goodbye as Magnus leans against the trunk of his watching Alec and Maia walk. Alec fist bumps Maia as they part and it makes Magnus smile. He’s finding it unbelievable that a week ago, Izzy and Alec aside, they were all virtual strangers. Now they’re this strange little band of friends, even joking that when all this is over they should start a band. Magnus knows more about these four people than anyone he’s ever met in this town, and they know more about him than everyone in this town combined. It’s a nice thing to have, even if the circumstances are insane.

“Ready to go?” Alec asks when he reaches the car.

And Magnus has an affirmative yes on his tongue eager to have another one of their quiet conversations when an idea crosses his mind.

“What if we stayed here for a little while?” he starts off a little hesitantly, he doesn’t think Alec will say no but there’s still that tiny voice in the back of his mind that sounds a lot like his father’s that says he might. “We never did get to have that nice walk around the lake that first night, we could build a fire stick around for a bit? Only if you can of course.”

He sounds more confident by the end, damn that little insecure voice in his head.

“That sounds fun, yeah let’s do that,” Alec says smiling widely. “Mom and Max went on the latest fishing expedition with dad for the weekend so I have all night.”

Building a fire doesn’t take long. Magnus spends a decent amount of time near the lake and keeps a small stack of wood to the side for occasions just like this. Not that he’s had occasions just like this, he’s usually alone.

Tonight he’s not though, tonight Alexander Lightwood is trying to help get the fire started and it’s the cutest thing Magnus has ever seen. Alec is a young man of many talents, he’s intelligent, strong and a born leader, what he clearly is not is much of an outdoorsman.

“Let me help,” Magnus chuckles as he pulls a lighter from his pocket starting and stoking the fire. Behind him Magnus hears a grumble that sounds a lot like ‘I totally had it’ which makes him laugh again. “You know I thought the son of a fisherman would be a little more skilled in matters of the outdoors,” he continues as he sits down on the log to the side of the fire, patting the spot beside him for Alec to join him.

Alec sits next to him a little closer than necessary and Magnus couldn’t be happier about it.

“Yeah,” Alec smiles clearly not offended. “Dad pretty much stressed fishing and boating not any of the other skills one might need outdoors. Which in hindsight is terrible considering Jace in particular is terrible with boats and survival skills like this would come in hand for sure when he inevitably crashes one on a remote island somewhere one day.”

Magnus laughs at that, but then has a hesitant thought on his mind. Alec talks about Isabelle and Max all the time, his adoration for his siblings crystal clear. Magnus knows Izzy is essentially a genius who loves science and can’t cook to save her life and that Max has already mapped out his entire future as a comic book artist and despite his young age has an affinity for Shakespeare. But Alec rarely talks about his other brother, so Magnus curiously asks about that.  

Alec groans a bit in response which has Magnus scrambling a bit, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to I was just curious.”

“No, no it’s okay it’s just complicated,” Alec pauses looking into the fire collecting his thoughts. The flames catch in the hazel of his eyes making them look almost golden and Magnus is content to just watch and wait until Alec is ready to talk, “I’ve told you about my parents and the expectations and the fights and everything and that’s all sort of strained our relationships with Jace. He’s my brother and I love him, don’t get me wrong, but he’s the perfect one as far as our parents are concerned. We get along enough, but football was the thing that connected us and now that that’s gone we’re just not as close. It’s really not his fault, but at the same time he’s always been oblivious to the fact they put him on such a pedestal which can be frustrating.”

Magnus nods in understanding, he’s an only child the light of his mother’s life, but he does know what it’s like to have a parent that’s disappointed he can imagine that having a sibling that’s idolized at the same time would make it even harder.

“Maybe some distance for a while will be good, give your brother some perspective,” Magnus says.

“Maybe,” Alec says deeply unsure. “He’s still my brother so that’s not gonna change, in some ways, and you can’t tell anyone this cause as far as the authorities are concerned I worked alone, but if it hadn’t been for his dumbass idea to steal the rival’s mascot I wouldn’t have ended up here so I can’t be too mad.”

Magnus smiles wide looking into Alec’s eyes, “Your secret is safe with me and in that case I’m sure it’ll work out for all of you.”

“Probably, he’s just gotta get over being pissed that I quit football not that my now former injury left choice even though this," he says gesturing to his completely healed knee, no lasting damage ever felt. "Doesn't change football isn't what I want anymore, then it should be fine. He’s a bit of drama queen could take a couple more months. My parents are a different story, I’m pretty sure I’ll just be a gay disaster in their eyes forever.”

“Never underestimate a parent’s love,” Magnus says reassuringly. “They’ll come around eventually.” He knows there’s a lot of irony behind him saying that, while his mother is the absolute best his father’s love definitely never came around. Alec’s next words make Magnus think he might just be a mind reader.

“Speaking of parents, and of course if you don’t want to tell me you don’t have to, but you’ve never mentioned your dad.”

Magnus pauses; it’s not that he doesn’t want to tell Alec it’s just that he doesn’t want to tell Alec. He knows the logic that lacks he’s told Alec all about his mother, about her cancer, about why he’d been out in the quarry that first night and Alec had listened, not said much except expressed a reassurance that Magnus didn’t have to be alone when his fear got the best of him anymore, it’s the best response Magnus could have asked for. But he’s never really told anyone about his dad before, even Catarina, his closest friend back in New York only knew some of the most basic details.

“He left when I was 13 it’s part of why we moved here for fresh start and all that,” Magnus begins and turns away from Alec’s piercing eyes to the fire. “There was a time, though it’s hard for me to believe, that my mom claims he was good to her, but my whole life he wasn’t. He cheated on my mom, he was gone all the time and I was the last thing he wanted to be around. I’ve always been a little different, long before I figured out my bisexuality and started expressing myself and my father wasn’t a fan of any of it. He never really wanted kids, so as far as he was concerned I was an inconvenience; he told me so and a lot worse plenty of times before.”

Alec reaches for Magnus’ hand at that, pulling Magnus a little closer to him as he softly responds, “You’re not an inconvenience, you’re the absolute opposite of an inconvenience.”

“Thank you, Alexander,” he replies a bit sadly, his voice catching a bit at the end. He knows it’s true, but years of hearing otherwise make it incredibly nice to hear it from someone who truly means it.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that,” Alec says after some silence.

“It’s okay,” Magnus says, quickly continuing as Alec looks ready to protest. “Really it is, I mean I won’t lie and say it doesn’t still affect me. There’s a part of me that still thinks maybe I’m too much and people will leave just like he did. It’s why I’ve been so kept to myself since we moved here; even back in New York with my friends there I kept it all pretty close to the chest. When mom got sick last year, I tried to reach out but he made it clear it wasn’t his concern I think it finally sunk in that he was never going to be worth my time then. In the long run though it’s not the worst thing, I’m glad he left, my mom deserves better and so do I.”

Alec pulls away and for a split horrifying second he thinks Alec is going to leave, that he really is too much and Alec sees that now. But Alec doesn’t leave he resituates himself on the log his legs bracketing Magnus from the side and reaches for Magnus’ hand again. Alec lifts their joined hands to tilt his face so Magnus looks Alec in the eyes again.

“You do and I’m sure the woman who raised someone as incredible as you does as well,” Alec says with a soft, but determined voice. “Also you’re not too much. You could never be too much. You’re this amazing, interesting, intelligent person that anyone would be lucky to know. I know someone as simple as me is sure as hell lucky to know you.”

Magnus is stunned into silence, Alec is anything but simple, he’s extraordinary and he’s all the things he just said about Magnus like they were given facts not just opinions.

“You’re not simple, you’re anything but simple,” Magnus says even though it doesn’t really encompass everything he wants to say, Alec has a way of stunning him into speechlessness a thing no one’s ever accomplished before. “You never cease to amaze me, Alexander.”  

“In good ways I hope,” Alec responds a smile replacing the soft, but serious look he’d had moments ago.

“In infinitely great ways,” Magnus says and he feels the way he had the day they’d almost kissed in his car and the way he’d felt when Alec had tenderly kissed his cheek the other day. Except this time he can’t be bothered to hesitate, there’s no one else around, there’s no responsibilities to pull their focus.

It’s just them, so Magnus moves his hand from Alec’s sliding it up to Alec’s neck angling his body as much as he can to face him even more. And then Magnus leans in and does the thing he’s been thinking about for days, for years really brushing his lips against Alec’s once, twice and then finally pressing his lips to Alec’s fully.

Magnus kisses Alec like it’s as important as breathing; their lips moving together like they were born to do this, Alec responding with matching passion. Kissing Alec feels like a puzzle piece Magnus didn’t realize was missing falling into place.

***

Alec pulls back after a few moments, because unfortunately breathing is a thing they still must do, as Magnus chases his lips. Magnus looks beautiful in the light of the fire, the flames playing across the sharp cut of his jaw and dancing across his dark perfectly styled hair.

His gaze is a little unfocused, darting from Alec’s eyes to his lips and Alec doubts his gaze is doing anything but the same. Magnus just kissed him and he kissed Magnus back and he absolutely wants to do it again, so he does. He leans in, hearing Magnus’ breath hitch just as their lips touch.

It’s the best kiss of Alec’s life. Admittedly it’s the only kiss of Alec’s life, but he doesn’t need any other kisses to compare it to he knows without a doubt that it can’t get better than kissing Magnus Bane.

Alec doesn’t know how long they stay like that, kissing and laughing and talking quietly like they have all the time in the world, but eventually the fire starts to die down and the chill in the air grows signaling it’s probably time for them to go home.

They put out the fire safely and walk hand in hand to Magnus’s car in companionable silence, Alec shyly offering his letterman jacket to Magnus as he feels a shiver run through Magnus. They drive to his house and they don’t say much this time, but Alec also holds onto his free hand the entire ride.

When they pull up into the alley behind his house Magnus leans back in his seat turning to smile at Alec, “Well here we are again.”

Alec smiles, while technically they’ve been here every day they’ve trained, he knows Magnus is referring to the night they’d almost kissed right here in this exact spot. It’s the one moment in his life Alec has hated his little sister a bit, because if she hadn’t called Alec could have been doing what they’d done tonight for days.

“I should have just kissed you that night,” Alec says.

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Magnus responds, Alec raises an eyebrow at him confused. “Don’t get me wrong I wanted to, but tonight was better. Not a rushed goodbye in the alleyway behind your house.”

Alec gets it, he’s glad they waited too, because now he can kiss him in a quiet goodbye in the alleyway behind his house instead. So, Alec smiles leaning in and does just that. It’s just a quick, lingering press of lips, but it feels like a live wire between them. It feels right.

“Goodnight, Magnus,” Alec says reaching for the door, but before he can open it Magnus reaches out grabbing him by the shirt to pull him back in kissing him quickly once more.

“Just needed one more,” he smiles, leaning up a hand to brush his fingers across Alec’s jaw. “Alexander I know the timing might not be the best, but for the record I like you, a lot. Not just in a night of kissing way, so when we stop the apocalypse in a few days would you go out on a real date with me?”

“Yes,” Alec responds instantly, maybe his answer sounds a little eager, a little too fast, but he can’t seem to care because he can tell Magnus likes him just as much as he likes Magnus. It seems like an impossible thing because Magnus is Magnus and Alec is just Alec, but for some reason or another Magnus sees Alec as so much more. Alec isn’t going to question it; he’s going to embrace it.

“I’d love that,” he continues. “And for the record if it wasn’t already clear I like you too, I’ve liked you for a long time actually. It just always seemed so unattainable and impossible until now. I never thought I’d have a boyfriend, let alone the best boyfriend a guy could ask for.”

Magnus’ smile widens at that, a little shy and that’s when Alec realizes he just called Magnus his boyfriend.

“Not that you’re my boyfriend,” he panics. “Or not yet, or not ever if you don’t want to be or whatever, we don’t have to put a label on-“

He’s interrupted by Magnus lifting his finger to Alec’s lips just a breath away from touching the rambling words exiting his mouth.

“I like the sound of boyfriend and I’ve liked you for a long time too,” he says caressing his finger across Alec’s lips and replacing them with his lips. Alec presses back, he has a boyfriend and that boyfriend is Magnus Bane his long time crush, turned super powered friend. Much in the way he knows that kissing can’t get better than it is with Magnus, boyfriends can’t get better than Magnus either.

Needless to say that by the time Alec finally clambers out of Magnus’ car and scales the side of his home he can’t stop smiling or care that Magnus just drove away in his warmest jacket and with his phone. He’s over the moon and the happiest he thinks he’s ever been in his life.

He’s happily daydreaming about a person who he just saw not even thirty seconds ago and spent an entire day with which is why he’s completely caught off guard when he climbs through his window to be immediately thrown into the wall a sharp nailed hand curling around his throat and a gleaming golden staff pressed into his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...........sorry about that cliffhanger.
> 
> tumblr: alecmagnuslwb


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !QUICK WARNING! There is a very brief temporary character death in this chapter.
> 
> If you read it and think I should add it to the tags let me know, cause I'm still not very good at the tagging thing.
> 
> Sorry this is later than planned, had some computer issues, but back on track now! Even though posting it ten minutes before TVGuide drops some sort of Malec thing is terrible timing to post a new chapter, enjoy!!

When his back hits the wall Alec lifts his hands instinctively ready to fight, but a sharp gleaming staff stings into his side and he suddenly feels immobile his newfound strength and ability completely shut down.

“Well, well, well, Red,” the body connected to the staff and curling sharp fingers coos menacingly. “Not one for high alert are we?”

Alec looks up from the sting adjusting his eyes to the darkness and before him stands a woman he assumes to be Lilith. She’s tall, all sharp bones and pale skin. Even from the gayest point of view Alec can see that she’s beautiful, but there’s a stench that surrounds her. Like old fish and seawater, a scent that he usually associates with his father returning from a long haul. Her skin pokes through a green metallic sheen that looks a lot like the armor they’d almost had earlier in the day. Except hers is eroded in spaces, rusted like an old ship left under the sea.

“Lilith,” Alec grits out through gasping breaths.

Lilith lifts him higher off the ground, fingers curling tighter around his neck, “No awareness, but at least some knowledge I see. What lies has Ithuriel’s floating essence been telling you about me?”

She clearly doesn’t want an answer, her nails digging into Alec’s neck tighter, breaking the skin.

“I bet he’s painted me as some psychopath, power hungry and relentless,” she sneers; if Alec could speak he’d tell her that’s exactly what she seems to be considering his current position. “I’m not you know, I’m just misunderstood.”

She sighs dropping Alec to the ground leaving him gasping as the air comes back into his lungs. He starts to lunge forward, but she’s too quick the golden staff pointed to his chest pinning him back to the floor.

“Nuh, uh uh, bad Red. I’ve killed rangers before, watched the life drain out of a Red’s eyes and I will do it again,” she says crouching down to look directly at him. She cocks her head, damp dark brown hair sticking to her shoulders as she moves, staring at him intently, venomously her eyes looking cold and vacant. “I know that one of your little group knows where to find the crystal and you will bring it to me.”

“Never,” Alec responds, the touch of the staff making it hard to even speak.

She laughs menacingly at that, “You will. Because if you don’t I will kill each of them one by one in front you and then move onto your family who look so lovely in those pictures hanging in the hall.”

“You’re gonna kill everyone anyways,” he spits back.

“Not everyone has to die,” she says drawing a sharp nail down his cheek just enough pressure to cut. “I want to start anew take out the weak, that doesn’t have to include you and the ones you love, the ones they love. When I usher in this new dawn I’ll need foot soldiers at my side, who better than the mighty Power Rangers. You know you can’t beat me, you don’t have it in you, so why not join me?”

Alec winces as her nail draws back his blood trickling down her hand. He weighs his options, if he refuses her completely she has no reason to let him live and kills him as a message to the others. If he agrees he’s betraying everyone, betraying the world. But if he agrees, he doesn’t have to mean it he can lie, try and catch her off guard even if it’s on her terms more than their own, he’s gotten pretty good at it recently.

“You won’t hurt any of us?” Alec says weakly playing into her hand.

“Rangers honor,” she says crossing her heart a wicked smirk on her lips. He can’t trust her, he knows that. They may not have the strength for this fight yet, but it’s the only way he’s getting out of this room alive.

“Okay, I don’t actually know where it is,” he lies. “One of the other’s does I need time.”

“And time you will have,” she says standing to her full height again, lessening the pressure of the golden staff against his chest. “By dawn, where the souls wander. Don’t be late.”

And like that she’s gone, almost like a spectre that was never even there. But she was there, the stinging pain in Alec’s neck and the blood dripping down his chin are evidence of that. He stands shakily from his spot on the floor. He could do this alone, instinct tells him to protect the other’s, to face this by himself. But a good leader, the thing he’s supposed to be, doesn’t carry the burden alone.

He reaches into his pocket for his phone and comes up empty, recalling he’d left it in the pocket of the jacket he’d been wearing, the jacket Magnus still has.

Magnus, he needs to go to Magnus, figure out a plan and gather the other’s from there. He moves slowly through the house, the only one home, but moves quietly all the same taking the keys to his mother’s car. 

***

Magnus can’t remember the last time he smiled so much. The night had had its heavier moments, but they were met with sweeter touches. He’s not even sure how long he’s been home lying face down on his bed, smile buried in his pillow.

He lifts his head to check the time, it's well past one in the morning now and he startles when he hears a light tap on his window. In the window stands Alec, Magnus smiles for a moment, but the smile quickly fades when he edges closer and spots a long cut along his cheek.

He lifts the window quickly, pulling Alec in delicately, “Alexander, what happened?”

“Lilith,” he responds grimly moving to sit heavily on the edge of Magnus’ bed. “She was waiting for me when I got home.”

Magnus moves to press a hand lightly to Alec’s uninjured cheek, turning his head to look at the cut, “Izzy?” he asks worried about his second favorite Lightwood as well.

“Not home, thankfully,” Alec winces as he turns his neck alerting Magnus to marks there as well. “Magnus she knows we know about the crystal, she knows who we are, I had to make a deal with her, I had no choice.” He rushes through his words.

“Woah slow down,” Magnus says softly. “Take a breath, let me go get something to clean you up and then tell me what happened.”

Magnus rushes into the bathroom quietly trying not to wake his mother. The one good thing about his mother’s health scares is Magnus has learned quite a bit about quick medical fixes and is never short on first aid products.

When he re-enters the room Alec is lifting his shirt, a sight Magnus would usually admire, but instead he sucks in a deep breath as he sees two large bruises one on his chest and another on his side. He moves closer beginning to clean the cut on Alec’s face first.

As he works to clean and seal up the blunt cuts caused by nails and wrap the bruises on his chest Alec tells him of Lilith’s deal, of Alec’s hope that maybe they could stop her tonight before this all begins.

“Where the souls wander, so she’s still living down on the bay,” Magnus says finishing up on the bruise that covers Alec’s side.

Alec nods in response, “Thank you.”

Magnus smiles up at him, a little sadly, the night had gone so well. Something just had to go wrong.

“If we’re doing this, we’re doing the together,” Magnus says firmly. “Text the other’s tell them to meet us there.”

“Um,” Alec starts reaching to rub the back of his neck, stopping at the last second clearly remembering his injuries. “You actually have my phone.”

Magnus raises an eyebrow at that.

“My jacket.”

Magnus smiles, right Alec’s jacket. The jacket he’d sweetly place on Magnus’ shoulders as the chill in the air had more bite, the jacket Magnus had been somewhat shamelessly using as a pillow earlier. He turns moving for it, sending off a quick text to the other’s explaining everything.

“Do you think we can actually do this? We can’t even morph properly and those gold robberies were enough she has her weapon and she’s definitely back to full strength now.”

Magnus contemplates, Alec’s not wrong things are a bit against them, “As long as we stick together I absolutely believe we can, let’s go.”

It might be overconfident but he truly does believe it. He moves to his window Alec in tow when Alec suddenly stops pulling Magnus into a breathtaking kiss. Magnus fights his instincts to move his hands to Alec’s neck, mindful of the bruising and cuts there and instead settles them around his waist gingerly mindful of the bruises there as well. Their lips slide together slow, Alec kissing him like it’s the last time.

“Hey,” Magnus says pulling back. “We’re going to be okay.”

Alec startles a bit, clearly a bit taken aback that Magnus had read his actions so well.

Alec runs a hand slowly down Magnus’ neck and Magnus arches into the touch, “We’re going to be okay.”

Alec’s response is sure, stronger than the shaky uncertainty that had driven the kiss.

***

They park a few blocks from the bay, Isabelle, Simon and Maia already waiting varying makeshift weapons in hand. They slip from the car Alec with a shovel he’d grabbed from behind Magnus’ house and Magnus with the tire iron from his trunk.

Alec allows Izzy to fuss for a moment, but quickly gets to the task at hand. She eyes him over one last time; a light in her eyes signifies she’s satisfied.

“Thank you for taking care of my brother,” he hears her whisper sidling up to Magnus pulling him into a brief hug.

“Always,” Magnus replies back quietly. Alec hopes there will be an always, he believes in Magnus’ faith in them but looking at them now his uncertainty creeps back in. Maybe he should have come alone, if anything happens to his baby sister, Magnus or these other two people he’s now sworn himself to protect he’ll never forgive himself.

His sister reads him like an open book this time, “You made the right choice. We’ve got this. Together.”

He nods smiling at her and reaches out to squeeze Magnus’ hand briefly before they all march towards their destination.

The docks down here are alarming at best during the daytime, at this hour they’re even more eerie; the moonlight shining down on the slick boards, shadows creeping across the old tourist attraction boats on the side. They move in a circle guarding one another as best they can looking around in search of their enemy.

“As usual,” Lilith’s voice reigns from above as Alec shifts to try and find the source. “A red cannot be trusted. Can’t even morph yet, but still stupid enough to show up and fight. That’s Ithuriel’s influence alive and well.”

Alec shrugs yelling in response, “I know you’ve been trapped in an underwater coma for ages and your people skills are rusty, but you had to know I wasn’t just going to help you end the world.”

“You could have had it all in my new world,” she says the voice changing direction. It reminds Alec of when Ithuriel floats around them, but his gruff frustration replaced with her menacing annoyance. “Now you’ll have to die here before the fun even begins.”

Alec looks up at the sound of a shuffle from the flag of one of the ships and spots her as she leaps down landing in a perfect crouch in front of the group. Alec moves first swinging his weapon with the other’s directly behind him doing the same.

She dodges them all swiftly, deflecting the tire iron in Magnus’ hand with her golden staff knocking it from his hands. Simon makes contact with her, the chain in his hand reaching the unprotected pale skin of her shoulder. The contact only serves to anger her slamming the staff to ground sending the group flying into the side of the pirate ship, Alec dead center with Magnus and Isabelle to his right, Maia and Simon to the left. It feels just like it had in his room hours before, he feels immobilized.

She moves the staff to slip chains around each of their bodies tightly as she casually walks up towards them. He can move now, but only shake within the chains, no chance of making any defensive action.

“You should have taken my offer,” she drawls, moving the sharp point of the staff across each of them as she goes, a chilling pain coursing through at its touch. “Now which one of you wants to tell me where the crystal is?”

“We won’t tell you anything,” Maia growls, Lilith paying her no mind as she uses her staff to brush Izzy’s hair back the strands turning a stark white at the touch.

“Oh you will, Ithuriel has trained you to be weak just like he was, you’ll tell me you just need a little…encouragement.”

She’s teasing, playing a game with them. A game she absolutely has the upper hand in right now. She moves down the line, Izzy taking a deep breath as the color returns to her hair, stopping in front of Maia.

“Yellow,” she surveys. “So pretty, so resilient, and if you’re anything like the last, beloved.”

She places the end of the staff to Maia’s neck and quickly black veins begin to bloom spreading fast and wide across her skin. Maia’s scream pierces the air. Alec struggles against his bonds as he hears the shouts of Magnus and Izzy around him. Simon goes white, stricken with fear beside him.

“It’s me!” Simon yells, causing Lilith to jerk back, Maia’s skin returning to its natural tone. “I’m the one who found it I can tell you where it is, just don’t hurt her.”

“Simon, no!”  Maia yells weakly as Lilith places a finger to her lips shushing her.

She moves to stand before Simon her hand making a go on motion with a wicked smile on her lips.

Simon swallows heavily, “Donuts.”

“Donuts?” she questions with a tilt of her head, she’s been underwater since before the dawn of man Alec guesses she’s never heard of a donut.

“Dot’s Donuts, it’s a dining establishment downtown it’s under the surface there,” he rushes out in terror.

“Thank you blue,” she says sincerely, the smile on her lips no longer deceptive but truly grateful. Alec can’t believe she tried to say she wasn’t a psychopath.

“Now,” she continues moving back to Maia’s side. “I appreciate the honesty, but it would be a bad look for me if I didn’t kill at least one of you.”

Alec moves to yell right along with the others but he can see the look in her eyes as she tilts her head towards him briefly. It’s the same look she’d given him at the house before he’d agreed to her deal. The one that said she was going to kill him. She’s going to follow through this time.

“So,” she begins moving down the line a press of her staff to each of their shoulders as she goes, Alec may know her decision has already been made but she’s clearly not above making a game out of it anyways. “Eenie, meenie,” she stops dead in front of Alec teeth filled with gold showing devilishly. “You.”

The last thing Alec feels is another press of the staff to his chest right above the existing bruise and then the distinct rush of falling, the chains unraveling just enough to send him hitting the water below with force.

***

Magnus watches in horror, struggling all he can against the chains on his body as Lilith taunts them. When Simon yells out the location of the crystal he thinks it’s over at least for the moment, but then he sees something in her eye, something darker.

When she stops in front of Alec Magnus knows what she’s about to do, helpless to reach out and stop the fall.

Alec’s body hits the water, submerged in an instant; the chains shake violently an electric current from her staff moving through them. Izzy’s cries are deafening, Simon and Maia’s shouts fruitless. Magnus struggles against his chains knowing it won’t do any good, he doesn’t scream just watches in muted shock, the world around him feeling like it’s going in slow motion. His mind flicks back to mere hours ago, kissing Alec by the open fire, Alec’s jacket draped across his shoulders. It feels like a dream now, like it didn’t even happen or maybe this is a nightmare. 

And then the chain stops. No motion, no shocks. Alec’s gone. He’s just gone.

Magnus doesn’t know if it’s physically possible for a heart to shatter over someone you’ve only really known a few days, but the feeling in his chest says it very well may be the case.

“I’d say I’ll see you soon,” Lilith says, Magnus only barely hearing her, a muted rushing sound in his ears. “But you can’t very well fight me without a full set can you?”

She motions sending them all flying free of their chains landing on the docks face first. She’s gone before they even look up.

Magnus scrambles to his feet first, ignoring Isabelle’s sobs for the moment. He grips the chain still wrapped around Alec, “Help me pull him up.”

Maia moves a little slowly but determined, Simon on her heels all three lifting with all they have. Alec’s head resurfaces which evidently sparks Izzy into action tears still streaming down her face as she grips his body helping Magnus shift him onto the slippery docks on his back.

“Get the chains off,” he instructs as Izzy checks for a pulse.

She stills her fingers on his pulse point, “He’s not breathing.” She sounds hollow, cold like a piece of her is missing.

Magnus could cry he could let the tears that he’s holding lodged in his throat out, but no. There’s not a chance in hell he’s just giving up. Lilith had drowned him, maybe at worst shocked him, Magnus knows CPR another benefit of learning so much first aid for his mother’s safety; he’ll stay here till Lilith burns the world down trying to bring Alec back if that’s what it takes.

“Not if I have something to say about it,” Magnus says strongly, pushing the lump in his throat down, as Maia frees Alec of the last of the chains. He gets to work pressing compressions to his boyfriend’s chest then alternating to his mouth blowing in steady breaths.

He does just as he was taught. The exact numbers, pressures and breaths that will guarantee to save a life if there’s still a chance. Out of the corner of his eye he sees the other three making space, clearing room for Magnus to work all huddled together, violent sobs still passing through Isabelle.

He feels a slight crack under his fingers, a rib broken most likely, but that’s a risk, it means Magnus is doing this right.

 _Come on you stubborn idiot, you still owe me a date_ , he thinks as he presses against Alec’s chest.

And then as if he heard him, Alec’s body moves choking out water as Maia shifts forward tilting his head to the side so the water doesn’t go back into his mouth. Isabelle crashes forward her face landing on her brother’s chest tears no longer sad but relieved.

“Ow,” he hears Alec slip out as her head collides with his chest. Simon and Maia huddle close, Simon reaching out to rest a hand on Alec’s shoulder.

Magnus is frozen in place staring down in disbelief that he just brought Alec back. Alec’s eyes flutter open looking up, directly at him. Alec’s reaches up a little sluggish hand brushing Magnus’ arm. He shuffles forward at the touch as Alec stubbornly moves to sit up, Izzy shifting back to help him.

“Easy,” Magnus says delicately placing a hand on Alec’s chest, his voice cracking a little. Once upright Alec lifts his hand a little faster this time to cup Magnus’ face, thumb brushing slowly under his eyes.

“Don’t cry,” Alec says a little gravely his breath still coming back to him. Magnus hadn’t even realized he’d been crying, but he guesses somewhere between his focus on saving Alec and his disbelief it worked the tears had started to fall.

Magnus fights to keep his eyes open, doesn’t want to blink and suddenly Alec will be gone again, “You died.”

It’s the only thing he can think to say.

“Yeah, well it’s been a weird week,” he chuckles slightly coughing a little on the end. It’s a completely inappropriate time, Alec just died, the apocalypse is quite literally nigh, but Magnus can’t help but giggle in response. Actually giggle.

His laugh stirs the others to do the same, the somber mood suddenly lightening. If someone saw them right now they’d all look insane, bloody and tired and soaking wet laughing their asses off around their friend who just died moments ago.

Yeah, it’s been a weird week. Magnus sobers up as the other’s continue to chuckle, leaning in closer to Alec placing a soft kiss on his forehead, “Thank you for not dying on me.”

Alec smiles softly his sister still giggling wildly into his shoulder, “Thank you for saving me.”

“Sorry to break this up,” Simon starts hiccupping out his final laughs. “But we have an all-powerful evil lady to stop. We need to get to the caves.”

He’s right; Magnus wishes they could stay here a little longer. Alec barely had time to breathe after the attack at his house and now he’s already shuffling to his feet with Magnus’ help to an even bigger fight.

***

Alec feels like he’s underwater, and then he feels a pressure on his chest, warm hands that feel familiar and his sister crying out his name. It feels like the first day at the caverns when the water had pulled them under, so he floats just like he did then, the breath in his lungs sharp and returning.

Within minutes he’s moving to stand, Magnus’ hand in his. Magnus who had just saved his life, there’s no way he’ll ever be able to thank him enough for that.

They drive quickly to quarry all together in Simon’s mother’s replacement van which will hopefully not suffer the same fate as the last car Simon had borrowed. Alec’s sluggish but he’s coming back into himself tucked between his sister and his boyfriend.

Izzy’s hand clasps his tightly the whole ride, refusing to let go. Magnus cards his hand through Alec’s wet hair, the touch bringing him into focus, healing powers of touch are not a part of their abilities but Magnus’ touch has the effect on him all the same.

When they reach the quarry they immediately head for ship, Alpha trotting out to greet them like he usually does. The light on his Frisbee head dulling as he takes their appearances in.

“Oh no,” he lets out.

“Lilith attacked, Alec died, Magnus brought him back, she knows where the crystal is, the fight starts now, we’re ready,” Maia summarizes as they all move past him to their spaces around the circle. Alec thinks Maia bounces back quiet like no else can.

“What?” Ithuriel says appearing in the center suddenly.

“Not repeating all that,” Maia scoffs cracking her neck and meeting Alec’s eyes with a nod.

“We’re ready,” Alec states voice sounding surer and like it should. “We don’t have time now not to be.”

He looks around the circle, Simon no longer shaken nods confidently, Isabelle looks ever focused tracks of tear stains still down her face but nods as soon as their eyes meet. He looks at Magnus last his eyeliner still somehow impeccable despite the evening they've had. He doesn’t just nod in response he smiles, sure and confident. They’ve got this.

He closes his eyes, doing just as he’s done before every time they’ve stood here. But this time he doesn’t just think about them as individuals, he thinks about them as a group. About the inside jokes they’ve made, about the things they’ve learned, about how they fought together tonight, about every day spent in the pit and about the laughter they’d all shared after Alec’s resurrection.

This time he doesn’t feel the crawl of the metal move slowly, hesitantly like before. This time it’s almost instant, his entire body, still bruised and broken feels healed as if the metal encompassing his body is stitching him back together, it’s a part of him it’s listening to him like a symbiotic connection.

“Cool,” he hears Simon, always the first to speak.

He opens his eyes and looks around each of them covered head to toe in armor, a lightning strike emblem adorning the center. Simon doing the robot dance because he thinks he’s clever.

Alpha hops up and down excitedly, quickly gesturing to his own robotic chest, “The emblem on your chests will call your Zords to you, go kick some ass!”

Alec smiles, even though no one can see it beneath the armor.

“Who knew we just needed one of us to Coulson it to finally come together,” Maia says looking down at her hands.

Alec makes no sense of this reference but shrugs as the others agree with her and laugh.

They all step down from their platforms beginning to walk towards the exit Magnus and Izzy high fiving when Ithuriel’s voice stops them.

“Good luck,” he says sincerely, his face looks almost proud, as proud as a floating head can look that is.

“We don’t need luck,” Alec says, a brush with death making him feel more confident somehow, the others standing around him just as sure. “We’ll win.”

They rise out from the caverns to the hill on the far side of the quarry that overlooks the town. The sun has begun to rise casting the city in a calm morning glow, but the calm is disturbed by the chaos below.

Lilith is a stark green standout in the center of their small city walking with confidence down the road as the ground cracks beneath her, putties rising up as her army.

“Looks like she started the party without us,” Magnus says disappointingly, Alec chuckles, even though it’s not the kind of party Magnus really wants to hang out at he knows how Magnus loves a good party.

“Upside, she thinks we aren’t even going to respond to her invite,” Alec says playing along. “Let’s go to work!”

They all move fast, power thrumming in their veins, suits fully active, fists ready for a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news: chapter's 9 and 10 (the epilogue) are basically done!
> 
> Bad news: chapter 8 is kicking my ass, writing action is hard y'all. So hopefully I'll have that finished up by early next week and keep up with posting each of the remaning chapters every Monday (?).
> 
> Until next time catch me on tumblr: alecmagnuslwb :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The big fight, hopefully it's alright cause writing action is very, very difficult. I think I'm much better at fluff, but hopefully you all enjoy!

Rushing into a fight to stop the literal end of the world isn’t as core shaking as it should be. Maybe watching someone he knows he could very much fall in love with die not even an hour ago has made Magnus’ core a bit more steel than it used to be.

They reach the town quickly from the hills edge, the power in them at full capacity now. Thankfully the early hour leaves the town fairly empty, only a few residents running away from the damage being wrought.

“She hasn’t reached the shop yet,” Magnus says gesturing down the road where Dot’s Donuts sits.

“That gives us time,” Alec nods. He stops to think for a moment, clearly assessing the chaos in front of them. The few putties Lilith has summoned up from the ground have spotted them all rushing forward like heavy boulders down the side of a hill. “We got the left, you two take the right,” he says gesturing to his sister and Maia, “Simon get to the shop as fast as you can we’ll make a path.”

They all nod in agreement, running at the putties with all they have. And for a moment it’s just like down in the pit. Each of them sliding and hitting in just the right spots, there’s less jokes but there’s just as much unity. Alec flips a puttie over his back as Magnus lands a crunching hit to the side of one’s head shattering it. Ahead of them he sees Simon making his way towards the shop then stop dead in his tracks turning to a burning car with its passenger side half inside the local book store.

“I’m good,” Alec yells ducking a hit and clearly seeing where Magnus’ line of vision is going. “Go help him.”

Magnus takes off, trusting Alec. He runs to climb over the broken shards of the book store to get to the small girl in the passenger seat while Simon assists the driver. The door sticks when he pulls, angle all wrong the car practically tilted on its side, causing tears to rush down the little girls face. The roof is caved in nearly grazing the girls head, the window crushed down no glass remaining but not enough to pull the little girl through. The only way he’s getting her out of here is by pulling the door off completely, a loud noise that will only serve to startle her.

“What’s you name sweetheart?” Magnus asks through the small space where she can hear him, shifting to pull the visor down from his face. A kind smile is likely to make her trust him more than a robotic visor.

“Madzie,” she trembles out already looking a little calmer than a moment before.

“Alright, Madzie,” Magnus smiles turning a quick eye to the growing flames and the view of Simon holding the woman back from rushing into the flames for her child. “I have to tear this door off and it’s gonna make a very loud noise so cover your ears for me okay.”

She nods minutely bringing her small hands up to her ears, eyes squeezed shut. Magnus rips the door from its hinges the loud creaking noise only making her jump lightly and moves to pick the little girl quickly as the flames spread closer to the passenger seat.

He lifts her up rushing out the window shifting his visor back up.

Once clear of the flames the woman rushes towards Magnus reaching out for Madzie in his arms.

“Thank you,” she cries. “Thank you.”

She runs off to safety before Magnus has time to respond simply glad to help them.

“Thank you Mr. Robot!” he hears Madzie yell as her mother quickens her pace making the smile on Magnus’ face grow.

Simon comes to his side the sound of breaking glass earning their attention as the flames from the car catch on the shelves inside the bookstore. Lilith has found the donut shop, her putties breaking through the glass as she steps inside staff dragging on the ground leaving cracks in its wake.

Wordlessly they rush to the shop, Alec and the girls still fighting through the final wave of putties. Outside of the shop stand a row of putties that Magnus and Simon quickly and effortlessly begin working their way through one punch and throw at a time.

***

Alec watches as Magnus and Simon help two pedestrians from their car quickly tossing another puttie over his shoulder shattering it completely. He moves to help Izzy and Maia the pair working in sync to destroy every new puttie that comes their way when he hears tires screech to the side.

A puttie pops up from the ground sending a truck careening onto its side. A truck that looks awfully familiar to Alec. With a start he realizes it’s is dad’s truck, the one he used to associate with family trips when they were young before everything got so messy in their home, now associated with awkward rides of silence. He runs to the vehicle tackling the puttie to the ground with a forceful hit that leaves it in pieces before it can move to cause the truck any further damage.

The sound of a whimper comes from the truck and Alec moves forward pulling the door nearly out from its hinges as flames begin to rise underneath. He looks inside, finding his mother, a cut on her head, blood running down her face.

Alec feels guilt crash over him, she must have come home early in the morning with Max and saw he and Izzy were both nowhere to be found only to hear word of a disaster downtown that had her rushing to find them.

Absently he wonders if she thinks they were the cause of the disaster somehow.

Alec moves to unbuckle her seat belt carefully moving her out of the truck. She startles at the touch of his hand clearly afraid that he’s not one of the good guys, pulling back violently from his reach.

“Maryse,” Alec says knowing it’s a risk even if the suit distorts his voice, knowing she might have more questions than trust. “Take my hand.”

Tentatively she does allowing Alec to slowly move her out of the truck and onto the sidewalk. A little dazed laced with immense worry she mutters, “My kids.”

So, she had been looking for them. Alec knows she’s twice as stubborn as him will stay here looking for him and Izzy until the ground gives out beneath her feet. She loves her kids; she just has a terrible way of showing it sometimes.

Alec grabs her by the shoulders hands gripping her arms tightly hoping to convey something, what he’s not totally sure, “They’re okay. I’m sure they’re okay.”

Something in her eyes clicks. An acknowledgement, a realization; Alec’s pretty sure she knows it’s him, mother’s intuition or something like that. He’s not sure what reaction to expect, anger or disappointment. But neither of those happen, “Okay.” She says assured, confident, trusting even as she looks over to where Izzy’s pink suit gleams in the rising sun.

She turns back looking Alec in his eyes shielded by the suit, she grips his armored shoulder tight in response then turns to run towards safety. If they survive the day there’s going to be an awkward dinner conversation tonight.

He shakes off the encounter, Maia and Izzy joining at his side as the putties are all finally taken care of.

“Was that mom?” Izzy asks.

“Yup,” he responds focus already on getting to Magnus and Simon.

“How much trouble are we about to be in?” she questions as they all begin moving.

Alec contemplates that settling on the obvious, “None quite as bad as the active apocalypse.”

Izzy tilts her head at that seemingly accepting the perspective. They reach the entrance of the donut shop at the same time as Magnus and Simon finish off the last of the putties guarding it. They step in together as a group, glass crunching underneath their feet alerting Lilith of their presence as she lounges along a table near the back her staff cracking and burrowing into the earth. 

“Didn’t I kill you?” she says pointing a long green and gold tipped nail in Alec’s direction.

Alec shrugs, “Didn’t stick.”

She flips her hair back over her shoulder nonplussed and stands hand moving for her staff that she deftly pulls from the ground.

“I’ll make sure it does this time,” she says slamming the staff back into the ground, putties popping up from every crack. A line of the grey formations stand strongly up in front of them putting a definitive wall between them and Lilith. They move to fight as another crack of the staff hits the ground. Sending a rippling wave out at their feet careening them all back through the remaining glass front of the store.

Alec lands hard on his back the others beside him. God bless this armor because he barely even feels it, not in the bone deep exhausting way he had the times she’d done it before. Outside of the shop the cracks continue to grow putties popping up in even more terrifying numbers than before.

“We’re gonna need some help,” he groans lifting up to press the emblem on his chest; the other’s do the same. In the distance a rumbling sound comes from the hills five robotic vehicles barreling towards the town square.

“Alright,” Magnus says no doubt beating Simon to the first words. “That’s pretty damn cool.”

The Zords come to a halt in front of their respective owners. All five of them move to get inside the vehicles, Alec sits in the core of the t-rex shaped vessel it immediately reacts to him linking up to his armor perfectly. It’s not just like him sitting in a car, it’s like he becomes a part of the vehicle itself he can feel it reacting to his movements, reading his mind like synapses from the brain.

“Okay,” he says finding the coms switch in the ship connecting the five of them together then gestures to the trio. “You three take on the putties out here. We can’t let them leave the town square. Magnus and I will go after Lilith.”

“Just the two of us?” Magnus asks from behind him.

Alec turns the vehicle moving easily along with him, “Together or not at all right?”

He can’t see it, but he knows Magnus is sporting a teasing smile, “How romantic.”

They move forward the trio behind them already connecting with putties left and right; Izzy in her Zord flying above them small laser shots raining down on the ground taking out putties before they can even grow to full height.

Magnus and Alec charge at the line of rock formations still protecting Lilith inside the donut shop. It feels like it always did down in the pit, except without Alec being exceedingly distracted by Magnus’ arms in one of those tight tank tops he tends to wear. They move in sync together, in a way that Alec can only akin to the way he and Isabelle have always been on their own wave of emotions since they were little kids. But it’s even more than that, because with Magnus there’s no magical given family bond, they just move this way together like they were always meant to.

Alec throws a puttie and Magnus is ready to receive it sending it crashing into the far wall. Even encased in the large robotic vehicles they anticipate each other’s moves, each other’s actions. Magnus uses the teeth of his sabretooth inspired vehicle to crunch down on two putties turning them to an easy crumble and Alec swings out the pseudo tail of his t-rex to use the crumbles as weapons knocking three other’s to the ground.

They’re efficient in a way that clearly shocks Lilith now visible behind a pile of rubble not an army of soldiers. But there’s something else about the look on her face, the look of someone who’s already won. She pulls the staff from the ground again this time the arched end once just sharp and pointed now holds a gleaming clear crystal in the center fractals of light beaming around them.

“Too late Rangers,” she drawls pointing the staff directly at Magnus. Alec moves without thinking placing himself between the blast and Magnus.

The shock of light hits him, his entire Zord shorting out bits of it crumbling around him. He quickly moves to eject falling out to the floor as the vehicle disintegrates nearly disintegrating him along with it. She moves to point the staff back at Alec Magnus dropping his vehicle on all fours to guard him, but before she can even make a true move a crashing blue blur careens through the wall effectively pinning Lilith into the brick wall one sharp tusk thrusting into her stomach.

Simon pops out of the top of his vehicle, like a head coming out from the top of a tank, a fist triumphantly in the air.

“Take that evil swamp lady!” he yells excitedly.

Alec just groans as Magnus opens the door of his vehicle, his position shielding Alec landing him directly on top of him.

“Well this is familiar,” Magnus smirks, the helmet of his armor dropping down like he’s Iron Man giving Alec a close up view of his face. Alec drops his as well with a thought and smirks back knowing exactly what Magnus is talking about. Was it really only a week ago that they found themselves in this same exact position in the back of Simon’s van?

“One of these days we need to end up like this and not be running or fighting for our lives,” Alec says bolder than he usually is, he blames the adrenaline of the fight.

“My god you two, flirt later,” Maia groans as she gracefully drops from her Zord outside where there once was a wall to the shop. Izzy flies down low next to her doing the same.

Alec blushes willing his helmet back into place, she has a point this really isn’t the time, “Grab her staff we need to get the crystal out of here, put it somewhere safe.”

Magnus moves off of Alec gracefully extending a hand to help him up. Once vertical he looks outside to see the ruins of what has to be a hundred or more putties. He gets the feeling Simon, Izzy and Maia flow together just as easily as he and Magnus do.

Simon hops down from his Zord lifting the staff up from the ground where Lilith’s limp body hangs. The bright crystal pulses at his touch.  

Magnus steps up grabbing it from him twirling it around a bit before looking at the seemingly dead Lilith.

“What do we do about her?” Magnus asks.

“We need to make sure she’s really dead,” Alec says moving forward cautiously.

He gestures to Simon who gets the cue and uses his connection to his Zord making it take a step back her body falling to floor when no longer pinned into the wall. No blood oozes from her wound just a spill of putrid smelling water. Alec nears her ready to grab Lilith’s limp form, but then as she keeps doing when they least expect it, she stands jumping to crouch on the top of Simon’s Zord a feral growl on her lips.

She doesn’t speak just curls out her nails pushing Alec to the ground as she leaps out hovering over him like a primal creature acting purely on vicious instinct.

***

Magnus watches as Lilith rises up once again, like a serial killer from a bad horror movie this woman just won’t go down.

When she lands on top of Alec Magnus moves to fight her staff in his hands the Zeo Crystal shining brightly it looks beautiful but one conscious thought from Lilith and a touch of her staff to the earth and everything could be in ruins. The crystal is pure energy the strength of the staff protecting whoever holds it from the raw destructible power inside. Ithuriel had warned them that the crystal was not meant to be held by human or humanoid hands, the power all-consuming and too great for one body to contain.

_“It belongs to the earth only; it’s her power to wield not ours,” he’d said._

He lifts the staff high over his head thrusting it into one of the patches of pale skin that come through her tattered armor hoping internal holding of the crystal is fatal as well. Her scream pierces the air as she stands staggering back the staff protruding through to the front of her. He helps Alec up as the light from the crystal grows stronger fractals of it poking through her skin like sunlight through a tattered curtain. The ground beneath them shakes as her screams grow louder, the buildings stability beyond compromised at this point.

“Run!” Magnus yells as they all begin to rush away.

The ground beneath their feet cracks deeper hot steam rising up, Lilith’s screams now muted as they further their distance from the shop. He looks back the light beaming through even stronger like the power of the sun bursting from their local donut shop.

The cracks come to a screeching halt the group standing at the edge as suddenly the burst of light explodes taking the shop and Lilith into a sinking hole. The hole spreads and for a moment Magnus wonders if he just managed to transform their whole town into a sink hole instead of save it.

Alec pulls him back quickly as the ground falls out directly in front of them, narrowly saving Magnus from falling in himself. Magnus moves to peer over the edge, the other’s doing the same, and watches as Lilith’s mangled body staff still sticking from her chest sinks into the ground covering her in layers of earth beaming light going with as the crystal returns back to the depths where it belongs, where it’s truly safe from evil doing reaches.

“Do you think Alpha had insurance on those things?” Isabelle muses pointing to the mashed remains of their Zords at the bottom of the sinkhole.

Its dead quiet for a moment, Magnus looks at Alec about to put his helmet down when the clicking sound of a phone’s camera fills the silence.

They all turn simultaneously to the source of the noise finding a few dozen Idris Grove residents gathered likely already tweeting and instagramming what’s in front of them. For a moment he wonders if they think they’re the enemy but then a single slow clap starts a wave. One by one the gathered citizens join in, Izzy, Maia and Simon jokingly bowing at the praise.

Magnus simply turns his head to Alec and shrugs; it’s been a weird week.

***

Alec chuckles at Magnus’ shrug, feeling like in some way it sums up everything that’s happened to them since that first night at the quarry. The crowds’ clapping grows louder a few whistles and praising hollers burst out from the crowd as well, Alec looks out at them and far in the back he sees his mother smiling. He’s still not sure how that’s going to blow over, but at least she looks happy in the moment.

The praise feels unnecessary, it’s not like they did any of this for the glory. They did what any good person thrust into their situation would have done. They protected their home, their families. They saved the world because someone had to do it and some fate out there decided it was their job.

The clapping slowly becomes drowned out by the loud sound of varying sirens heading their way which if Alec has learned anything recently running from the sound of sirens doesn’t go his way, but he always ends up doing it anyway.

His armored hand grabs Magnus’ pulling him along with their enhanced speed as they sprint off to the opposite of the lights. The trio trails along behind equally as fast.

“Wait, so did we win?” Simon yells as they run.

“Yeah,” Alec laughs, Magnus had been right all along together they had won. “Yeah, we won.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They won!! Next up two more chapters of just good fluff and wrap up, the question is when would you like to see them: one each of the next two Monday's or chapter 9 later this week with the epilogue next Monday?
> 
> As always thanks for reading and catch me on tumblrstill crying about the People's Choice Awards: alecmagnuslwb


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This all family, friendship and fluff in the aftermath :)

After a quick report to Alpha and Ithuriel the group regrettably parts ways knowing their families are no doubt worried about them. Magnus presses a searing kiss to Alec’s lips just before they go that he hopes leaves Alec aching for more just as it does him.

It’s been a strange nearly 48 hours since.

Luckily for Magnus aside from a few cuts and bruises that he could explain away with a tale of clumsiness he doesn’t have to directly lie to his mother about anything. She talks about what happened downtown it’s all that’s been on the news since the morning before. They’ve even gone national their little town. Some conspiracy theorists thinking warring aliens landed in Idris Grove to battle. Other’s chalking it all up to a gas leak that caused the whole town to have some collective fever dream, either way no one connects their names to anything that happened that day.

His mother finds it all amusing, simply states that the warriors had defended their small city because every small town deserves a line of defense. When she starts going on about fate, Magnus interrupts her informing her that he has a new boyfriend diverting the line of conversation to something he’d much rather talk about.

She was going to find out sooner or later, might as well tell her now before he incriminates himself as a superhero accidentally.

It works because she immediately swerves her course of discussion, “A boyfriend?” She beams excitedly.

“Yes, a boyfriend,” Magnus smiles delighted by her excitement. “You’ve actually probably heard his name before; he’s somewhat formerly famous in this town, Alec Lightwood.”

For a split second his mother’s brow furrows and Magnus worries that the rumors of his boyfriend’s somewhat illegal happenings have placed him a poor view in his mother’s eyes, but as quickly as the furrow arrived it passes morphing into something softer. His mother has never been one to judge a person based on rumors.

“So a football player, huh?” She teases.

“Former football player,” Magnus mumbles the comment not stopping his mother from continuing on.

“I never would’ve have predicted it,” she muses clearly setting up some terrible joke at her son’s embarrassment. “My son touching down in a quarterbacks end zone.”

Magnus’ eyes widen horrified, “MOTHER!”

She simply cackles in delight. “Sorry, just kidding, just kidding,” she says through gasping breaths unable to control her laughter, she doesn’t sound very sorry.  

She sips from the glass of water next to her once she’s sobered up, Magnus sits a pout on his face at her embarrassing teasing he’d be angry if it wasn’t for the fact that he hasn’t heard her laugh quite like this in so long.

“Okay. No more bad jokes, for now,” she says wiping a laughter induced tear from her eye her voice going from teasing to soft. “Tell me about him.

So, Magnus does. He leaves out some details for the safety of their groups little secret, but he mostly focuses on the long drives they’ve had, the words they’ve shared. It goes on just like that the rest of the evening his mother beaming proudly at her son’s happiness but also teasing him endlessly on his quote on quote moony eyes. Magnus just laughs, blushing a little because he knows it’s true, promising to bring Alec by soon so she can meet the boy who has caught his fancy. It’s nice just being with her, he feels like in the past week he’s only seen her for a few fleeting minutes, a rarity for the two of them.

So, he lets her moon and laugh and talk about how he’s nabbed himself a handsome young man when Magnus shows her a couple pictures of Alec. He pulls up a group shot taken by Alpha of the five of them lying comfortably across a rock formation after a long day in the pit laughing at some silly thing Simon had said, then a selfie they had taken that night at the fire Alec tucking his face into Magnus’ shoulder to hide from the camera a bit.

Later after she’s used up every pun and teasing joke she can at her son’s expense his mother heads off to bed leaving Magnus curled up in an armchair smiling softly at the photo of he and his boyfriend.

He’s already thinking about what they might get to do for their first real date now that the apocalypse has been adverted. Obviously Alec is technically still on house arrest, but judging from the texts they’ve exchanged it seems his mother is lightening up a bit which will provide some leeway. If not, well it’s not like they all haven’t become experts on sneaking out at this point.

A tapping on the window behind him startles Magnus; he jumps up from his chair already feeling the power running through his veins ready to act. He’s a bit higher alert these days. Magnus turns cautiously approaching the window until he sees a soft circular glow of light which makes him sigh lightly.

“Alpha!” he whisper yells as he opens the window, the small robot taking that as an invitation clambering inside none too quietly.

“Good evening Magnus!” Alpha shouts brightly Magnus quickly placing a hand in front of the small bot shushing him quietly. “If you’re trying to silence me that is not where my vocal box is located,” Alpha continues brushing past Magnus hefting himself up to sit in the armchair Magnus had been occupying moments ago. 

Magnus doesn’t really need to know where his vocal box _is_ located, “My mom just went to bed and I do not want to explain the robot in our living room so please be quiet.”

Alpha shrugs, stretching out to make himself comfortable in the chair, “Apologies,” he begins a poor imitation of a whisper. “Ithuriel asked me to call you all to the ship tonight to have a word.”

Magnus panics for a split second which Alpha quickly recognizes.

“Nothing bad I assure you, just a quick follow up is all,” he says flipping out the footrest of the recliner his short legs barely even reaching it. “Gosh, this is comfortable!”  

“Okay,” Magnus sighs relieved. “I’ll let everyone know. You came all the way here just to tell me that? You couldn’t send out a robot text or something?”

“Texting,” Alpha sighs like a long suffering grandpa fed up with youths and their technological ways. “I don’t like texting, so impersonal, and I tried to go to Alec’s house first, team leader and all that, but his windows are all so darned high that I gave up so here I am. Thank you for living in a one floor home, Magnus.”

Magnus plops down on the couch adjacent to where Alpha continues to make himself comfortable reaching out for one of the pretzels on the table scrutinizing it closely. Magnus can’t believe he’s casually sitting in his living room with a robot that may have just developed a fascination with pretzels and a desire to buy a recliner. Alec was so right; it has been a weird week.

***

Alec’s mother doesn’t say anything when he comes home a cut down his cheek and the little marks around his neck still visible. She doesn’t ask where he and Izzy have been. She just smiles, tells them she’s glad they’re safe and asks them what they want for dinner.

Their father doesn’t make an appearance at the meal. They don’t ask why, but they think maybe there’s a reason she’d come home early with Max that morning.

The next twenty four hours spent at home with her are filled with tension, not the kind that usually settles over the Lightwood home, but the kind that speaks of secrets meant to be kept. It’s clear she knows who it was that helped her in the town square but she’s choosing not to say a word, not out of malice or anger, but out of respect. It’s the first time in a long time Alec feels like his mother isn’t harshly judging something about him.  

The tension eases by the next night when she’s gathering them around the dinner table a smile on hers lips as she sits down her cutlery.

“I’m very proud of you both,” she says apropos of nothing. Max is over at a friend’s again, Jace as well so it’s just the three of them. A usually uncomfortably tense affair feels light for the first time since they were children.

Alec and Isabelle exchange a look across the table, eyebrows rising in unison clearly perplexed.

“I know I haven’t made that clear,” their mother marches on. “I took my problems with your father and I induced that stress onto the both of you. I know I put Jace on a pedestal, I hope I can work to do that less.”

She turns to Izzy grabbing her hand lightly, “You are incredibly smart, I hope my pressures will never hold you back when you can change the world with just your mind.”

She moves to do the same to Alec then, “And you I know when you came out I reacted…less than admirably. I want to repair that, you’re my son you always will be nothing can change that. I don’t care that you’re gay I was just afraid of the ways that can make your life harder, especially after everything that happened with your football career. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you weren’t important to me just as you are.”

She pauses inhaling a deep breath.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I helped tear this family apart like I did I just hope we can still fix it,” she says finally her head pushed down in shame.

In unison Alec and Isabelle both squeeze the hands still being held by their mother.

“We still love you; we want to be a family again too,” Alec says knowing Isabelle feels the same. “We know it will take time, but we do want that. And I know you probably have a lot of questions.”

She cuts him off, “No questions, I trust you both.” She says with a smile then nods loosening her grip on them both, the words have more value than she knows.

They eat in silence a few more moments when suddenly her head pops up.

“Wait,” she starts. “I have one question, who’s the boy you’ve been texting all through dinner?”

Oh, that. Alec had thought he was being stealthy. In the past he’d have lied told her it was no one but after what she just said he starts talking about Magnus bright and happy. It’s the first time in a very long time he can remember where he feels like his mother is truly listening to him. Truly happy to see him passionate, about something or in this case someone, who makes him happy, no other ulterior purpose served.

He calls Magnus his boyfriend and his mother smiles knowingly, he bets the smiles on his own face is decidedly smitten and obvious. 

His phone pings a little while later as he helps Isabelle with the dishes giving him an easy out from the annoyed words he knows she’s about to express now that she knows Alec and Magnus are officially a thing and he hadn’t told her first. He sits the dirty plates in his hand in front of his sister sending her an apologetic smile as he pulls his phone from his pocket three more pings sounding in succession.

_[6:26 pm -- from: Magnus <3]            _

_Quarry tonight? Alpha says Ithuriel wants to “have a word.”_

_There’s a robot in my recliner by the way._

_Ha that sounds like a bad mystery novel or something._

_Maybe another fire after? xo_

Alec smiles typing a response, eager to see Magnus for the first time since they parted so abruptly the other day.

***

“You!” Izzy shouts accusingly in his direction as she walks into the cavern. Magnus has been sitting with Maia and Simon catching up as they waited for the final two members of their team. Maia and Simon both had been lucky their parents hadn’t been aware of them being anywhere but in bed when the disaster downtown had occurred. Maia informing Magnus that from what Luke’s said to her and Clary they have no information of any sort that could lead back to them or the truth of what really happened that day. It’s a relief to say the least.

“Me?” he responds confused, his focus settling on the person behind her instantly.

“Nuh, uh,” she tuts. “None of that moony lovey dovey stuff until we’ve had words. I expect my brother to hold out on juicy details, but you? Are we not friends Magnus Bane?”

She puts on a wonderful pout at the end of her sentence. Magnus completely understands why Alec can never say no to her now.

“Of course we are my dear,” he says standing to place a hand on her shoulder. “But we were a little busy fighting the apocalypse and then parental questions after the latest developments in my continued wooing.”

He moves away from her to greet Alec placing a light kiss on his lips.

“Texting exists. Lord knows you’ve been texting him like crazy,” Izzy huffs gesturing wildly at her brother and Magnus both. “You’re lucky you’re so cute together.”

She stomps off the smile she sends back their way betraying the angry crunch of rock beneath her boots as Alec slips an arm around Magnus’ waist.

“Hi,” he says leaning back in for another light kiss that Magnus smiles into.

“Hi,” Magnus parrots back. “I’ll have you know you are a much more pleasant driving companion than Alpha is. He wouldn’t stop playing with the radio, he has abysmal musical tastes, he tried to make me listen to country music.”

The ride to the quarry had been interesting to say the least. Alpha had talked a mile a minute about everything in Magnus’ car to Magnus himself. Randomly picking up things off of the dash to play with and flipping through the car manual in the glove box. His words had mostly been complimentary or easy little questions but it had also been a lot.

Alec laughs opening his mouth to speak when he’s interrupted by Maia her head poking out from the doors of Ithuriel’s ship, “My god you two are gonna be so much worse now that you’re actually together aren’t you? Come on you lovesick nerds let’s get this going.”

Magnus chuckles slipping his arm from around Alec’s waist to clasp his hand walking into the large metal doors the same way they had that first day.

            ***

Ithuriel’s glowing face pops up large and bright as soon as Magnus and Alec join the others. Alpha scuttles past them plopping himself up on one of the stands usually occupied by them, his tiny metal legs swinging off the edge. Alec notes that he seems to have taken to a much more chill way of life now that Lilith has been stopped, no more constant scuttling around.

“Welcome,” Ithuriel booms nodding his head. “I asked you all hear today to congratulate you. The crystal has returned where it belongs, untouched by those who would use it as a weapon.”

Simon raises his hand; Ithuriel simply raises an eyebrow in his direction. Alpha however eagerly points to him like a teacher at the head of a class.

“So Lilith is really gone?” he asks. “Cause she had an uncanny way of coming back like Jason Vorhees.”

Ithuriel frowns, “I know not who this Vorhees is you speak of, but Lilith is gone there’s no denying that. The energy from the crystal cannot be contained or survived by any humanoid form I assure you.”

The group collectively lets out a relieved sigh at that, Alec tugging Magnus back into a hold around the waist.

“So what do we do now?” Isabelle asks. “Do we keep fighting crime or…”

“That is up to you,” Ithuriel explains. “The major threat is over; the power still remains within you and your armor constantly available. You’ve won this fight, valiantly and bravely. You saved the world and for that the earth will always be grateful. I know I am.” 

Something akin to a prideful smile comes across his floating face; Alec thinks it’s the most genuine emotion he’s seen him express before.

“Another threat could arise one day,” he continues. “And if that day comes you all may be called upon once again to fight. There will always be those who want for power that does not belong to them or anyone else.”

Alec looks at Magnus his face adorned with a small smile, down the line his sister, Simon and Maia sporting similar looks.

He answers for them all, “We’ll be there. If that time comes we’ll be ready for it.”

Ithuriel nods in silence that prideful smile still on his face when a small whimpering sound breaks the collective silence. Alpha tearfully wipes at his Frisbee, though Alec’s pretty sure he doesn’t actually have the capability of letting out tears.

“I’m gonna miss you guys so much!” he yells bounding down off the platform barreling into Alec’s legs hugging tight. “You have to promise you’ll come visit!”

“We promise,” Magnus laughs as Alpha moves to hug his legs.

“Great!” Alpha continues moving down the line embracing each of them. “Or I can come to you guys, move nights once a month! No robot movies though, they’re offensive to me!”

“Even Blade Runner?” Simon asks sadly patting Alpha on the head, Alec knows it’s one of his favorite movies so he’s probably deeply offended by the idea.

Alpha looks up sharply and solemnly replies, “Especially Blade Runner.”

***

Movie nights officially guaranteed to appease their tiny robot friend the group heads outside to a build a fire. A thing they quickly learn Simon should never be allowed to do. It’s likely he shouldn’t even be allowed to look at a pack of matches.

“I can’t believe you almost caught me on fire,” Maia says offended, shoving Simon off the log next to her.

He grumbles something that sounds a lot like ‘I didn’t do it on purpose’ from his spot lying in the dirt. It’s a sentence he’s repeated a lot over the past hour. Izzy and Maia huddle close by fire whispering quietly to one another giggling as they talk. Simon opts to stay on the ground content to wallow in his embarrassment.

Magnus turns looking at Alec who’s gazing into the fire, the flames dancing in his hazel eyes making them glow.

Magnus reaches out to place a hand on Alec’s knee, “You okay?”

Alec turns and smiles, “Yeah, it’s just crazy it’s all over, you know? It all feels almost like it wasn’t even real.”

Magnus hums in response leaning into Alec a little further trailing darkly painted nails in a circle on Alec’s knee, “True, but it was very real, otherwise we wouldn’t be here right now.”

Alec huffs a laugh responding confidently, “We would have found our way here, apocalypse or not.”

“You really think we would have even become friends, let alone this if we hadn’t developed superpowers that night?” Magnus wonders, he’d thought about he and Alec being just like this for years little flashes of what could be if they’d lived in each other’s orbits but he’d always doubted the chances, careful to never get his hopes up.

“I do, I mean I know this has only really been going on a few days,” he says turning into Magnus his legs bracketing him just like they had the first night they’d kissed in front of a fire like this one. “But you and I work together well. Not just as superheroes, but we just work and I don’t want to think that we wouldn’t have figured out a way to end up here even if we hadn’t woken up as the Avengers. I’d liked you from afar for years; sooner or later I hope I would’ve worked up the courage to make a move.”

Magnus is struck speechless a thing only Alec seems to have a way of doing. He smiles softly leaning in for a tender kiss.

“You are quite brave,” Magnus hums breaking apart from Alec’s lips. “Plus I guess it is safe to say no matter what breakfast club would’ve given us time together. The prince and a criminal as it were.” Magnus finishes gesturing to himself then Alec.

Alec chuckles leaning back in face inches from Magnus’, “Well you are a pretty dashing prince.”

“And you,” Magnus starts leaning in even closer their noses bumping playfully. “Are an incredibly handsome criminal.”

It’s hard to be sure in the firelight but Magnus swears a small blush creeps up Alec’s cheeks. Alec doesn’t say anything back just closes the remaining distance between their lips for another kiss, this one a little more involved than the one before. Magnus falls into it, like he has every one before and will every one he has the pleasure of getting after, ignoring the cooing from their friends on the other side of the flames.

Alec pulls back abruptly just as Magnus finally slips his tongue in Alec’s mouth both hands gripping Alec’s thighs; Magnus is disappointed to say the least. Though he can understand why Alec might not want to make out with his boyfriend in front of his sister.

“Wednesday,” Alec says a lot more breathless than he likely intended. “Are you doing anything after breakfast club Wednesday?”

Magnus tilts his head still a little dazed from the abrupt ending of their kissing, “I don’t think so, why?”

“Go out with me,” he doesn’t ask it simply knows the answer is going to be yes, it’s confident but kind, it’s also really attractive. “On a real date.”

Magnus nods eagerly in response, not bothering to answer with words just pulling Alec back in covering Alec’s warm lips with his own picking up where their previous kiss left off. He doesn’t care what they do on their date, where they go or if it’s simply Magnus scaling the side of Alec’s house to see him, he knows it will be the best first real date he’s ever had.

Simon throws a clump of dirt at their feet mumbling something about innocent eyes not needing to see this, poorly aimed if he actually was trying to get them to stop.

They saved the world a couple days ago they’ve earned a quick make out by a fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more chapter to go, a fluffy little epilogue! 
> 
> Chapter should be up on Monday, but until then as usual find me on tumblr: alecmagnuslwb


	10. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is it, last chapter. Thank you to everyone who's read this thing and been with me on the journey for the first fic I've ever put out there, your support has meant everything! Enjoy!

**_1 Year Later_ **

Alec groans cracking his neck as he rises from bed limbs a bit stiff from spending half the night asleep on the couch with Magnus sprawled out on top of him. They’d had their monthly movie night with Alpha watching Disney movies that he somehow knew all the song lyrics to well into the late hours of the night in the Lightwood living room after their mother had gone to bed.

The past year has been good, not just because of the monthly movie nights but in general really.  Sometimes it’s crazy to believe it’s only been slightly over a year since the fateful crash that had brought their little group all together.

Their mother had finally confronted their father about her concerns not long after that near apocalyptic weekend, as it turned out a lot of his supposed work related fishing trips were an excuse to meet a mistress. The divorce goes through in a week their mother retaining everything including the functioning of their fishing company, their home is the happiest it’s been since the day Max had been born.

Jace is already gone, early enrollment on football scholarship to Michigan and Izzy is on track to earn a full ride to Harvard or Princeton or anywhere she pleases with her science smarts, the only person ahead of her for valedictorian being her girlfriend Maia. Her relationship with Maia and Simon has blossomed, working it all out slowly but surely as a unit. It may not last forever but for now Izzy assures him it’s perfect.

“I’m not dead set on marrying the first people I fall for like someone,” Izzy teased when he’d brought it up. He opted not to respond with a quip of his own since at the time he hadn’t even told Magnus he loved him yet.

Graduation has come and gone, the dynamic trio still have a year left however whereas Alec and Magnus are headed for New York in the fall NYU and Columbia respectively, both on academic scholarships Alec’s football career long behind him. They hadn’t intentionally chosen to go to school in the same city; they knew they could make it work if they were apart. But Alec’s prospects were a little more limited with his old focus being on athletics and his somewhat publicly known criminal record so when the choice came down to a school in Maryland or NYU it wasn’t a hard decision to make.

Dating Magnus has been everything Alec ever dreamed it could be and more. Their first real date, a picnic Alec nervously planned with Alpha’s help of all of people couldn’t have gone more perfect and they’ve barely parted for longer than an awkward weekend fishing trip with his father since.

He’s met Magnus’ mother a delightful teasing woman whose energy is through the roof. She’s become like a second parent to him, better than the second parent he actually has by far, always doting on Alec, all her kindness is a thing he feels he’ll never be able to repay her for. He tries though, like he had last week when he’d baked a slightly questionable but love filled cake celebrating her official two year anniversary of being declared cancer free.

He spends most of his free time with Magnus now, aware that come the fall they’ll both be busy; starving for time together despite the fact they intend to get a small studio apartment to share. Being with Magnus made his senior year the best year of school he’d ever had. Proudly walking down the hall with his hand in another boys no care for what anyone had to say was empowering.

His new group of friends, lunches no longer spent avoiding talk of hot girls with the football guys, made things pretty great as well the five of them becoming a small known pack in the halls of their school even adding Clary to the bunch at the start of the year.

The news around ‘The Angel Grove Incident’ as it’s been labeled died down eventually. Conspiracy theories still run wild, but with the rebuilding on the town square nearly complete, the evidence of what happened there buried underneath, people have calmed down about it.

It does however delight Alec, Isabelle and Magnus, who their little brother adores, that Max has taken to playing a game he calls ‘warrior’ in boxy red armor that resembles Alec’s own. He’ll never know just what it means to his big brother.

Ithuriel has remained quiet, content to rest wherever a floating head rests when he’s not around. Alpha on the other hand has taken up quite a few hobbies including deeply terrible knitting and a complete lack of knowledge on what human taste buds enjoy and spending time with them all when they can.

Alec turns back limbs fully stretched and he can’t help but smile at the sight before him. Magnus lies on his stomach face buried into Alec’s pillow. Alec didn’t have it in him to let Magnus drive all the way home after the late night they’d had, not that it’d been any sort problem for Alec to have him stay right here beside him.

“Babe,” Alec says shaking his boyfriends shoulder slightly. “You gotta get up, Mom’s cool about you, but we both know she will not react kindly to finding you shirtless in my bed.”

They knew from an unfortunate and embarrassing experience that had resulted in his mother calling the sheriff, who she seems to be spending a lot of personal time with these days, to ask if he could put another house arrest ankle bracelet on her son. He chose not to dig himself into an early grave and point out that confining Alec to the house wouldn’t change a thing. Maryse has grown to love Magnus, delighted and charmed by him just as much as everyone always seems to be, but her protective motherly side can never be fully tamed.

They’d learned their lesson since careful to make sure Magnus crawls out of the window in the early hours of the morning and knocks on the door seemingly dropping by for breakfast or picking up Alec for school or something else. Super powered agility has come in handy even after saving the world.

They spend nights at Magnus’ sometimes too. His mother fine with it, but always joking that they need to control themselves while under her roof because she’s far too young to be grandmother. The joke always amuses Alec to no end while Magnus rolls his eyes skyward fondly.

“Too early,” Magnus groans into the pillow grumbling no doubt a wonderful pout on his lips.

Alec chuckles rubbing his boyfriends back, Magnus melts into the touch and further into the covers, the opposite of what Alec needs him to do in this moment.

“Come on it’s already nine, that’s not too early, there’s French toast in it for you if you get up,” Alec bribes. He isn’t much of a cook, but breakfast is his gold tier.

“French toast you say?” Magnus says flipping over and sitting up quickly.

Alec laughs smitten as Magnus stretches a bit and lets out an over exaggerated yawn, “I bet if you put on one of those charming thousand watt smiles of yours mom could even be convinced to make some of that chocolate whip cream you love to put on top.”

“Well in that case,” Magnus says an aforementioned thousand watt smile on his face already as he quickly drops a kiss on Alec’s lips and launches from bed.

He putters around the room grabbing one of the clean button up shirts he sneakily hides in the back of Alec’s closet for days just like this. Alec smiles at the domesticity of it, they’re barely out of high school and practically already married and he knows it. Maia in particular enjoys teasing them about it. He turns his eyes from Magnus, which is a valiant effort as Magnus is wearing a pair of Alec’s sweatpants hung low his hips, as his phone buzzes.

_[9:05 -- from: Simon]_

_Is it a misuse of super powers to use them to get cheese puffs off the high shelf?_

Alec laughs; Simon has a tendency to take the concept of ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ a little too seriously. None of them actively fight crime every night or anything like that, but they haven’t completely abandoned their powers either. The rumors of armored individuals stopping muggings, a few fires and arriving first at the scene of car crashes aren’t just rumors. They’d all decided it would be a disservice to the abilities they were entrusted with to do nothing to help.

“Texting your other boyfriend?” Magnus jokes stepping in front of where Alec still sits on the edge of his bed, now dressed in his own tight jeans and shirt.

Alec tilts his head phone tossed to the side immediately forgotten as he wraps his arms around Magnus’ waist pulling him closer.

“You know Simon and I’s love is a forbidden one,” he says cheekily.

Magnus laughs tilting Alec’s head up a little further burying his bright red covered fingertips in Alec’s dark hair, leaning down for a quick kiss.

“Isabelle and Maia would murder you,” Magnus says pulling back. “Plus you know you can’t get it any better than this.”

It’s a joke, but Alec knows it’s true. There’s no one like Magnus Bane. No one Alec could ever want the way he wants Magnus.

“True,” he replies simply, easily pulling Magnus down for another kiss. They stay like that for a few minutes kissing slowly as the sunlight peeks through Alec’s curtains. Alec moves his arms tightening around Magnus’ waist attempting to pull him back down onto the bed.

“Nope, none of that,” Magnus says, playfully smacking him on the shoulder bracing his hands to shove himself back just out of Alec’s reach. “We’re lucky Maryse allowed me back in the house after the February debacle and I will not be denied my breakfast.”

Alec groans, putting on his best puppy dog eyes making grabby hands in attempt to urge Magnus back. Most people would think he looks ridiculous but he knows Magnus finds it adorable.

But as much as Magnus loves Alec he loves French toast and chocolate whip cream just as much it seems as he steps back even further to open Alec’s window.

Alec sighs finally rising from the bed slipping his arms back around Magnus pulling him to his chest.

“Alexander,” Magnus chastises playfully leaning his head back as Alec presses a kiss to his temple.

“I know, I know,” Alec groans letting go reluctantly as Magnus turns in his arms to plant one last light kiss on his lips. “I love you.”

They’ve been saying it on the regular since October, at a Halloween party where Magnus had forced a couples costume upon him that he didn’t actually hate, but it never ceases to make his heart flutter every time he gets to say it.

“I love you too,” Magnus replies with a bright smile that says it makes him feel that same flutter rush through him too, he then moves to jump briskly out of the window. “See you in a few minutes, six pieces of French toast minimum.”

Alec laughs Magnus already dropping gracefully to the ground outside. He’ll take his car around the front, knock on the door in five short minutes and join the Lightwood’s for breakfast. They might spend the day together just the two of them or head over to Simon’s to steal all the cheese puffs he’s buying at nine a.m. for some reason.

All Alec knows is that they’ll spend it together. Maybe nineteen is a little early to know you’ve found your soulmate, but Alec’s pretty sure he has. They’ll spend the fall together and the spring and every season after that. They might even stop another apocalypse together one day, all he knows is that’ll they’ll do it hand in hand.

Together or not at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me slipping one line about Luke/Maryse before this thing was over was inevitable :)
> 
> Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading! I definitely will be revisiting this world, but if there's anything you would like to see absolutely feel free to send me prompts or any suggestions in the comments or on my tumblr, I would love to have them! Prompts in general, in this universe or not are welcome :)
> 
> So, until the next fic (likely some holiday fluff coming your way next month) find me on tumblr: alecmagnuslwb


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